What is Carer Support Payment?

Carer Support Payment has replaced the Carer’s Allowance in Scotland.

If you’re a carer in the UK there are benefits available to help you including the Carer’s Allowance, which pays eligible carers £81.90 per week. This Allowance has now been replaced in Scotland by the Carer Support Payment.

What’s changing?

Carer Support Payment is now available to apply for across all of Scotland.

If you previously received Carer’s Allowance and live in Scotland, you will automatically be moved to the Carer Support Payment some time before Spring 2025. You don’t need to do anything to make this change and your payment amount will stay the same after you have been moved over.

If you are an eligible carer living in Scotland not already receiving the Carer’s Allowance, you will no longer be able to apply for the Carer’s Allowance. You will instead need to apply for the Carer Support Payment. This is now available to apply for across all of Scotland.

Who can apply for Carer Support Payment?

You, as the person caring for someone, must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

• Be 16 years old and over
• Live in Scotland
• Provide care for a minimum of 35 hours per week
• Earn less that £151 a week after tax, national insurance and any expenses

The person you are caring for must be receiving one of these disability benefits for you to be eligible:

• Adult Disability Payment – daily living component
• Child Disability Payment – middle or highest care rate
• Attendance Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment – daily living component
• Disability Living Allowance – middle or highest care rate
• Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate. Must be alongside Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

The Scottish Government website also provides an eligibility checker.

How can I apply?

You can find out more about Carer Support Payment and submit a new application here.

What to expect during the move?

When you are moved to the Carer Support Payment you will receive letters from DWP and Social Security Scotland with more information.

Social Security Scotland may get in touch with you to ask for some of your personal details such as your home address and bank account information. This is to ensure that they can transition you to the new system and pay you on time. If they need to get in touch they will phone you from this number, which is also free for you to call if you would like more information: 0800 182 2222.

You will continue to receive your Carer’s Allowance as normal until you start receiving the Carer Support Payment.

How much will I be paid?

Carer Support Payment is the same amount as Carers Allowance.

Eligible carers will be paid £81.90 per week. You can choose to either be paid this amount every week, or you can choose to be paid every 4 weeks. If you decide to be paid every 4 weeks you will receive £327.60 at the end of every 4 weeks.

If you have moved over to the Carer Support Payment from the Carer’s Allowance, you have the option to choose to be paid weekly.

If your Carer’s Allowance is currently paid every week:

You will continue to be paid weekly.

If your Carer’s Allowance is currently paid every 4 weeks:

DWP pays you for the previous 3 weeks plus 1 week in advance, whereas Social Security Scotland pays you for the previous 4 weeks exactly. Due to these different systems, there will be a transition period as your payment changes hands from DWP to Social Security Scotland.

Don’t worry, you won’t lose out on any money you are owed.

If you currently get Carer’s Allowance every 4 weeks, your first Carer Support Payment will be less than your next Carer Support payments. This is because DWP will have paid you for the previous 3 weeks you are owed, plus a week in advance in your final payment of your Carer’s Allowance. Social Security Scotland takes that extra week into account and removes a week from your first Carer Support Payment. This is so that they don’t overpay you.

Your first Carer Support Payment will be 5 weeks after your last Carer’s Allowance payment, but no money will be lost out on in the process.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement

Once you have transitioned to the Carer Support Payment, the Carer’s Allowance Supplement will merge with your monthly payments.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an automatic payment. This means that if you already receive Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment, you don’t need to apply for it.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement is £288.60. This amount is paid twice per year, once in June and once in December. The supplement should be ignored when you figure out calculations for your Universal Credit, pre-Universal Credit means-tested benefits and Tax Credits.

The first Carer’s Allowance supplement of this year was already paid out in June 2024. If you received your Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 7 October 2024, you’ll get the second Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment  of the year in December 2024.

What if support falls through?

During the transition, Social Security Scotland will aim to make sure that support doesn’t fall through. At OPFS, we know that change can be a daunting time and things sometimes don’t work out as imagined.

We’re here for you.

If you disagree with Social Security Scotland’s decision

If it is decided that you are no longer eligible to claim the Carer Support Payment, you can ask for an appeal. You can request an appeal online by signing into your ‘mygovscot’ account and using this form.

If you are struggling financially

The Scottish Welfare Fund offers support in the form of a Crisis Grant and Community Care Grant. Applications to these grants are made through your local council using the links below:

• You can submit an application for a Crisis Grant here. You should hear a result in the following 2 working days after you submit an application. The amount of time this takes will vary depending on your local council.
• You can submit an application for a Community Care Grant here. These applications can take longer to process. It can take up to 15 working days to hear a result back after you have submitted your application. Again, this amount of time varies depending on your local council.

We know that in the meantime, you might need more urgent help.

Our helpline and live chat are free to use.

Whether you need advice or emotional support we’re here. Our advisors can offer you advice and information as well as carry out a free benefit calculation for you.