Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to provide financial support for carers who look after their partners.

Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting elderly or disabled relatives (including partners) or friends. We are determined to give family carers the help and support they need and deserve.

Research published in 2024 estimated that around 1 in 4 carers receiving Carer’s Allowance are caring for their partner. Unpaid carers may be able to receive financial support from the department depending on their circumstances. Carer’s Allowance provides a measure of financial support and recognition for people who are not able to work full time due to their caring responsibilities. The rate of Carer’s Allowance is £81.90 a week in 2024/25, and from April 2025 this will increase by 1.7%.

In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £198.31 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for a carer in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week.