Carer's Benefit
A PRSI-based payment for people who leave work to care for someone full-time. It is not means-tested, but it is time-limited to 104 weeks per person cared for.
- Type
- Based on PRSI
- Paid
- Every week
- Taxable
- Yes
- Administered by
- Department of Social Protection
How much is Carer's Benefit?
€271/week
Caring for 1 person
| Caring for more than 1 person | €406.50/week |
|---|
Increases you may also get
| Child Support Payment: child under 12 (full rate) | €58/week |
|---|---|
| Child Support Payment: child under 12 (half rate) | €29/week |
| Child Support Payment: child 12 or over (full rate) | €78/week |
| Child Support Payment: child 12 or over (half rate) | €39/week |
Budget 2027: from January 2027
Amounts a week. Announced, not yet in force. Until January 2027 you are paid the current rate.
| Rate | Now | From January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Caring for 1 person | €271 | €281 |
| Caring for more than 1 person | €406.50 | Not yet published |
| Child Support Payment: child under 12 (full rate) | €58 | €64 |
| Child Support Payment: child under 12 (half rate) | €29 | Not yet published |
| Child Support Payment: child 12 or over (full rate) | €78 | €84 |
| Child Support Payment: child 12 or over (half rate) | €39 | Not yet published |
DSP does not yet list the rate for caring for more than 1 person.
Read from Department of Social Protection, Budget 2027, checked .
Effective from Checked
Who can get Carer's Benefit
- You must have been in employment for at least 8 of the last 26 weeks before starting to care.
- You must have enough PRSI contributions.
- You must give up work to provide full-time care.
- You must not earn more than €1,000 a week after tax and other deductions from employment or self-employment. This limit rose from €625 on 2 July 2026.
- You cannot work, study or volunteer for more than 18.5 hours a week.
- You must be aged 16 or over and under 66.
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Is Carer's Benefit means tested?
Carer's Benefit is not means-tested. It depends on your PRSI record. This is the main difference from Carer's Allowance.
Things people get caught by
- Carer's Benefit runs for a maximum of 104 weeks per person cared for. It can be taken in one block or in separate periods.
- When Carer's Benefit ends, many carers move to the means-tested Carer's Allowance.
- You can hold Carer's Benefit and Carer's Allowance in sequence, not at the same time.
- Carer's Benefit is not means-tested, but it does have an earnings limit of €1,000 a week after tax. Not means-tested and no income test are not the same thing.
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What else you might get
Payments interact. These are the ones that commonly go with Carer's Benefit.
- Carer's Support Grant
Paid automatically each June.
- Free Travel
Automatic with Carer's Benefit.