Benefits and financial help for carers

Find out about benefits, allowances and help from the Council.

Carer's personal budget from the Council

After a carer's assessment, if you're eligible you will have your own support plan. This explains what support you need to carry on your role as a carer. It could include a personal budget in the form of a direct payment.

A carers personal budget is there to help you in your role as a carer. It is used to pay for things that are agreed in your support plan, such as:

It is not taxed and doesn't affect any benefits you receive.

You may be able to claim a discount on your Council Tax, or even be exempt from paying it altogether.

If you regularly look after someone, you might be able to claim benefits, such as:

You might be entitled to receive Carers Allowance.

Check if you are eligible on GOV.UK

If you need help completing forms or have any questions about financial support, contact the Carer's Allowance Unit

If you care for someone at least 20 hours a week, you could be entitled to Carer's Credit.

Carer Premium is an allowance you get on top of some benefits.

You can get it if you already get a benefit, such as Income Support or Housing Benefit.

You can ask about it at your local Jobcentre Plus or Jobs and Benefits Office.

If you’re a parent carer of a disabled child, you can find out how to claim Disability Living Allowance for children on GOV.UK.

There is lots of other financial help available, including:

the benefits calculator to check what benefits you can get on GOV.UK
covering the cost of your childcare on GOV.UK
getting benefits as a carer from Carers UK
advice and support services for carers from Sutton Carers Centre
information about benefits, debts, housing, and employment on Sutton Citizens Advice Bureaux