Petitions/Allow full-time students who provide 35+ hours care to receive Carer’s Allowance
StatusOngoing
Opened17 Feb 2026
Closes
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Amend the eligibility rules for Carer’s Allowance so that people in full-time education who provide at least 35 hours of care per week can receive Carer’s Allowance, provided all other conditions are met.

Many students provide 35 hours or more of unpaid care each week for disabled parents or relatives but are excluded from Carer’s Allowance solely because they are in full-time education. This forces carers to choose between education and financial support, even though the care must still be provided. The rule is outdated and unfairly treats student carers differently from others providing the same level of care. Eligibility should be based on hours of care, not education status.

10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Mr David Lammy
1Mr David Lammy MP
Tottenham
3
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
2Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP
Chorley
2
Bambos Charalambous
3Bambos Charalambous MP
Southgate and Wood Green
2
Liam Conlon
4Liam Conlon MP
Beckenham and Penge
1
Max Wilkinson
5Max Wilkinson MP
Cheltenham
1
Nigel Farage
6Nigel Farage MP
Clacton
1
Bell Ribeiro-Addy
7Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
Clapham and Brixton Hill
1
Danny Kruger
8Danny Kruger MP
East Wiltshire
1
Kate Osamor
9Kate Osamor MP
Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
1
Feryal Clark
10Feryal Clark MP
Enfield North
1