If you begin receiving a state pension that is more than carer’s allowance, payment of carer’s allowance will stop due to the overlapping benefits rule (see 6 above ). If your state pension is less than carer’s allowance, state pension is paid and topped up with carer’s allowance to the basic rate of carer’s allowance.

If all that prevents payment of carer’s allowance is your state pension, an ‘additional amount for carers’ (£38.85) is included in the award of your pension credit, and a ‘carer premium’ (£38.85) is included in the award of housing benefit (see Chapter 23(6) ).

If you defer claiming your state pension (see Chapter 46(4) ), you will not receive increased pension payments for any period in which you get carer’s allowance instead.