Form CC1 — Carer's Credit application form

What is CC1 Carer's Credit application?

Carer's Credit is a National Insurance credit that helps fill gaps in your National Insurance record while you look after one or more people for at least 20 hours a week. Your State Pension is based on that record, so the credit means you can take on caring without it costing you qualifying years. Your income, savings and investments don't affect whether you can get it.

Form CC1 is the application. It asks about you, any time in prison or legal custody, and up to two people you look after: their details, how many hours you care for them, whether they get a qualifying disability or care benefit, and any breaks of more than 12 weeks. If a person doesn't get one of those benefits, a health or social care professional fills in the separate Care Certificate for them. You don't need to apply if you already get Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment, get Child Benefit for a child under 12, or are a foster carer getting credits from HMRC.

FileIt takes you through the 35 questions in plain English and only asks about a second person if you look after one. It prints your answers into DWP's own CC1 PDF, including names with accents and the long 'other information' box, and saves the finished form in your FileIt vault. You print it, sign it by hand and post it yourself. FileIt never sends it.

Who needs to fill out CC1 Carer's Credit application?

• Someone who cares for a relative, partner, friend or neighbour for 20 hours or more a week and doesn't get Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment.
• Carers who earn too much for Carer's Allowance. Carer's Credit doesn't depend on income or savings.
• People who care for two or more people whose hours add up to 20 a week or more.
• Carers under State Pension age who want to protect their State Pension record.
• A representative filling it in for a carer. The carer, not the person being looked after, is the applicant.

When to use CC1 Carer's Credit application

• When you start caring for one or more people for at least 20 hours a week and don't already get credits another way.
• Question 10 asks when you want the credit to start. Give a date, because the form warns that leaving it out may delay your application.
• Breaks in caring of up to 12 weeks in a row don't stop Carer's Credit, for example a holiday or a hospital stay. Tell DWP about any break of more than 12 weeks on the form, or later by contacting the Carer's Allowance Unit.

What you need before you start

• Your National Insurance number, date of birth, address, phone numbers and any other surnames you've used.
• The date you want Carer's Credit to start from.
• The dates of any time in prison or legal custody since then.
• For each person you look after: their name, date of birth, address, National Insurance number if you know it, and how many hours a week you care for them.
• Whether each person gets a qualifying benefit, such as the daily living part of PIP or ADP, the middle or highest care rate of DLA, Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment.
• A completed Care Certificate for anyone who doesn't get one of those benefits, signed by a health or social care professional.
• The dates of any break of more than 12 weeks in your caring.

What’s on CC1 Carer's Credit application

The 2025 edition has 8 pages. FileIt asks for it in 6 parts, and it is signed by Carer:

1. About you, the carer (01–12)Carer
2. Prison or legal custody (13–14)Carer
3. About the care you provide (15) — Person 1 (16–24)Carer
4. Do you look after more than one person? (25) — Person 2 (26–34)Carer
5. Other information (35)Carer
6. DeclarationCarer

How to fill out CC1 Carer's Credit application, step by step

1 About you (questions 01 to 12)

Your title, names, any other surnames (maiden and former married names), National Insurance number, date of birth, address and phone numbers. Question 10 is the date you want Carer's Credit to start. Questions 11 and 12 ask whether you normally live in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and, if not, where you live. Tick Yes if you're part of a family living overseas with HM forces.

There's also a box on the first page to ask DWP to contact you in Welsh.

2 Prison or legal custody (questions 13 and 14)

Say whether you've been in prison or legal custody since the date you want the credit to start. If so, give the dates.

3 The care you provide (question 15)

Have you looked after one or more people for a total of 20 hours or more a week since that date? If you've done so for only some weeks, still tick Yes. Carer's Credit is only for people who care for at least 20 hours a week.

4 Person 1 (questions 16 to 24)

The person's title, names, date of birth, address and National Insurance number, and how many hours a week you look after them.

Question 23 asks whether they get one of the listed benefits. If they don't, you need a Care Certificate for them. Question 24 asks about any break of more than 12 weeks in your caring, with the dates you stopped and started again.

5 Person 2 (questions 25 to 34)

If you look after more than one person, the same questions again for a second person. If you care for more than two people, use question 35 for the others.

6 Other information (question 35)

A full page for anything else DWP might need to know: a third person, other long breaks in caring, or documents you're sending. FileIt wraps your text into the box.

7 Declaration

You agree the information is complete and correct and that you'll report changes straight away. Wrong or incomplete information can lead to prosecution, or to your Carer's Credit being stopped and National Insurance contributions removed. Sign and date it by hand.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying when you already get credits. People getting Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment, Child Benefit for a child under 12, or foster carers' credits from HMRC don't need this form.
• Leaving out the start date at question 10, which can delay your application.
• Ticking No at question 15 when you only cared for 20 hours or more in some weeks. The form says to tick Yes.
• Forgetting the Care Certificate for someone who doesn't get a qualifying benefit.
• Not mentioning breaks of more than 12 weeks.
• Letting the person being cared for fill it in. The carer or their representative must.
• Not signing and dating the declaration.

After you fill it out

Print the CC1, sign and date the declaration by hand, and add any Care Certificates.

GOV.UK says to send it to Freepost DWP Carers Allowance Unit, with nothing else written on the envelope and no stamp or postcode needed. If you have the printed pack, use the envelope that came with it.

DWP writes to you with a decision. If you disagree, you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration. Tell the Carer's Allowance Unit (0800 731 0297) about any break in caring of more than 12 weeks in a row. FileIt keeps a copy of your form in your vault.

CC1 Carer's Credit application: frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) — Carer's Allowance Unit: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/695bc561295a95414df21b0d/carers-credit-application-form-cc1.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.gov.uk/carers-credit
• Edition shown on this page: CC1 12/25 (Version 6) (checked 2026-09-28).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) — Carer's Allowance Unit or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-28.

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