Carer’s Allowance claim could boost your state pension – how to check your forecast | Personal Finance | Finance

Claimants receive £69.70 through the benefit, which offers support to eligible people who care for someone for at least 35 hours a week. Those on the allowance automatically receive Class 1 National Insurance credits, contributing towards their state pension.

The full basic state pension is £141.85 a week, for men born on or after April 6, 1951, and women born on or after April 6, 1953.

Those born after these dates get the new state pension instead, and the full new state pension is currently £185.15 per week.

How much state pension a person gets depends on their National Insurance record, with 10 years usually needed to get any state pension.

To get the full basic state pension, people usually need a total of 30 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits.

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For example, schemes like WaterSure offer 50 percent off water bills.

People who aren’t eligible for Carer’s Allowance may also be able to apply for the Carer’s Element of Universal Credit worth £168.81 a month.

This week, the Government has started sending the first instalment of a £650 cost of living payment to help people in low incomes.

Households on means tested benefits like Universal Credit and Pension Credit will receive £650.

Every UK home is to receive £400 as a discount on their energy bills to help with the soaring cost of living.