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 |
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.
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 — €1,000 a week after tax. Not means-tested and no income test are not the same thing.
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.