Carer’s Benefit is a taxable payment available to workers (with sufficient PRSI and/or National Insurance contributions ) who may need to leave work or reduce their hours to care for a person or people in need of full-time care.

It can be paid for a period of 2 years (104 weeks) for each person being cared for and may be claimed over separate periods up to a total of 2 years (104 weeks).

The Department for Social Protection webpage sets out the following eligibility criteria:

• you are 16 or over
• you are or will be caring for a person who needs full-time care and who does not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution
• you have been employed or self-employed for at least 8 weeks in the previous 26 week period for at least 16 hours per week or 32 hours per fortnight (you do not have to meet this condition if you were getting Carer’s Benefit in the previous 26 weeks)
• you do not take part in employment, self-employment, voluntary work, training or education courses which add up to more than 18.5 hours a week
• you earn €625 or less a week after taxes. From July 2026, this will be €1,000.
• you meet the social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions
• you do not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution

You may be able to get Carer’s Benefit if you care for a child who qualifies for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA). You do not have to be the person who gets the allowance for the child to be their carer.

For further details, including rates of payment and how to apply please see DSP – Carers Benefit

Page last checked: April 2026

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