Caring responsibilities are the most cited barrier to work for Carer's Allowance claimants, DWP research finds
An evaluation of the rise to £196 a week found few claimants linked changes in their work to it, and that nearly half of those who knew of a limit picked the old figure.
By Daily Oracles News Team2 min read
Few claimants linked changes in their work to the rise in what carers can earn while keeping Carer's Allowance, according to research for the Department for Work and Pensions published on Thursday 29 October. The weekly limit rose from £151 to £196 in April 2025. The report says 1% of all those surveyed attributed an increase in their hours to the change and 1% an increase in their earnings, and that for some carers its effects were transformative.
Verian surveyed 1,382 claimants aged 16 to 65 in England and Wales between 29 January and 8 March this year, and also held 60 in-depth interviews. The findings are self-reported, the report has no measure of what would have happened without the rise, and the survey's response rate was 12%.
Who moved and why
Of all those surveyed, 89% were out of work in both March 2025 and early 2026, and 6% were in work at both points. Another 2% moved into a job and 2% left one.
Among those not working, 83% cited their caring responsibilities as a barrier, 38% their own health and 28% childcare. Those in jobs averaged 12.1 hours a week, against the roughly 16 hours the report says £196 represented at the National Living Wage. Some 42% of them said practical issues meant they could not work enough hours to exceed the limit, and 37% said a limit on earnings tied to their benefits was a barrier to doing more.
Average pay among those in work showed no significant change. The share of employed respondents taking home under £130 a week fell from 70% to 60%.
Knowledge of the limit
The limit went up to £204 after the research was carried out. Knowledge of the rules is one gap the report identifies: 85% of respondents knew there was a limit, but among those people 33% chose £196, while 48% chose the old £151.
The report sees scope to raise knowledge of the limit and of allowable deductions, and says some claimants would welcome more support on how the allowance and Universal Credit interact. It also says knowledge alone will not bring universal increases in work, because many claimants are limited by caring responsibilities or their own health, and the availability of suitable work is a further challenge.
