Calculation of temporary break in a 26 week period

Carers can continue to receive Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment payments during temporary breaks in care of up to 12 weeks in any 26-week period.

The case management system, SPM, will count the 26 weeks on a rolling week-by-week basis. When a carer reports they have stopped providing care, SPM will check if there was another temporary break in care in the last 26 weeks from the end of the week in which the carer stopped providing care.  

Examples of how the 26-week rolling calculator works

A carer reports a non-hospital temporary break in care lasting for 4 weeks that started on or after 15 March 2026.

If SPM finds no other breaks in care in the last 26 weeks, the carer would continue to get CSP or CAPP payments for the full 4 weeks of their temporary break.

If SPM finds the carer has had, for example, a 2-week temporary break in caring in the last 26 weeks, the carer could continue to be paid for only the first 2 weeks of the 4 week break reported.

After the first 2 weeks of the break, they would have temporary break in entitlement to Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment and the relevant award will end until they report that they are providing care again. This is because they will have had non-hospital related break in care totalling over 4 weeks in the last 26 week period.

Their payments could be reinstated through a Determination Without Application if they begin providing care again within 26 weeks of the determination ending their award.

A carer reports a temporary break in care for 6 weeks because they are going to be in hospital.

If SPM finds that they have not had a temporary break from caring in the previous 26 weeks, or that they stopped providing care for under 6 weeks in this period, they will still get Carer Support (including Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment) whilst they are in hospital because their hospital-related breaks in care will not have exceeded a total of 12 weeks in the last 26 week period.

If SPM finds that they had a temporary break in care for a period or periods of time which total more than 6 weeks, the temporary break will end entitlement to Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment and they will not receive any further payments until they report that they are providing care again. This is because they will have had hospital related temporary breaks in care totalling more than 12 weeks in the last 26-week period.  

The award could be reinstated through a Determination Without Application if they begin providing care again within 26 weeks of the determination ending their award.