Thinking of leaving work?

If you are thinking of leaving work, it's important to consider the full implications it could have for your income, quality of life and future pension entitlements.

Before you make the decision to leave work or reduce your hours, it's important to consider the implications, and to explore any options that could help make your working and caring roles more manageable.

The financial impact

Before you make any decisions about leaving work or reducing your hours, it’s important to consider the impact this will have on your current financial situation and your future pension entitlement.

If you decide to leave work or reduce your hours, you may be eligible for Carer's Allowance or other benefits or tax credits, depending on your circumstances.

Before making any decisions, it is therefore a good idea to get a benefits check to see what your financial situation would look like if you were to leave work or reduce your hours. For information on benefits and tax credits, see our webpages called ‘Help with benefits’.

Note: You can get a benefits check online here: www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/financial-support/help-with-benefits/turn2us-benefits-calculator or contact our helpline on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• It will take about 20 minutes to complete. These online tools are not suitable for everyone. Special rules apply to some groups of people, for example students, people under 18, people in permanent residential care, UK nationals who live abroad and people who are not British or Irish citizens.

Pension entitlement

If you would no longer be treated as paying National Insurance (NI) through work, then you should consider the impact this will have on your NI record, as it will affect your future pension entitlement.

Some benefits, such as Carer’s Allowance, can give NI contribution credits, which can help to protect your record. If you can’t claim Carer’s Allowance you may be able to claim Carer’s Credit to help protect your record. For further information see our pages called 'Help with your pension'.

No idea where to start with working out the costs?

Take a look at our free online resource to prepare you for the potential costs involved in caring.