You can get Carer's Benefit for up to 2 years for each person being cared for. You may get this in a single period or in separate periods adding up to 2 years. Because you get the payment for each person being cared for, some care periods may overlap.
There is no minimum period for claiming Carer's Benefit. However, if you claim Carer's Benefit for less than 6 weeks for a person you are caring for, you cannot claim it for the same person again until 6 weeks have passed.
Death of the person being cared for
If the person you are caring for dies within the 2 year period, you will continue to get Carer's Benefit for 6 weeks after their death.