In a chat with a friend about various cost-of-living issues she mentioned that, in the past, when she was working and her husband was the "housewife", her husband received "the carer's allowance" (her words). My friend is a well-educated upstanding citizen, so I am assuming that she and/or her husband were not doing anything wrong in claiming the allowance that she mentioned. However, from what I know of the actual Carer's Allowance, there has to be an element of caring for someone (other than just looking after your own children who are healthy). Am I right? Is there another type of allowance that she might be referring to and that I don't know about, that is available to a parent who stays at home looking after his/her children? Many thanks.