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Who can get carer support payment 

You can get carer support payment if:

  • you normally live in Scotland and, at the moment, you live in one of the pilot areas, which are Perth and Kinross, City of Dundee, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Angus, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Fife, City of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. If you do not live in one of the pilot areas, you can still claim carer's allowance from the DWP
  • you are aged at least 16
  • you are caring for a severely disabled person
  • the care you provide is ‘regular and substantial’
  • you are not earning over £151 (net) a week
  • if you are aged under 20, you are not in full-time non-advanced education
  • you satisfy the residence conditions
  • you are not a ‘person subject to immigration control’

Caring for a ‘severely disabled person’

You must be caring for another person who receives one of the following disability benefits:

  • attendance allowance (either rate)
  • adult disability payment, daily living component (either rate)
  • personal independence payment, daily living component (either rate)
  • child disability payment, care component middle or highest rate 
  • disability living allowance, care component middle or highest rate

You cannot get carer support payment in respect of caring for the person if someone else gets carer support payment, carer’s allowance or the carer element in universal credit in respect of the person.

‘Regular and substantial’ care

To be entitled to carer support payment, you must be caring for the other person for at least 35 hours a week. ‘Caring’ is not defined and can mean a whole range of activities, including physical, psychological and emotional support, and supervision.

Care that you provide under a contract of employment or as a volunteer with a non-profit organisation does not count.

You can continue to be entitled to carer support payment during a temporary break in care – usually for up to four weeks in a period of 26 weeks, or longer if you or the person you care for is in hospital. In this situation you can continue to be entitled during a break of up to 12 weeks.

Residence conditions

As well as normally living in Scotland, to get carer support payment you must usually have lived in the ‘common travel area’ (UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man) for 26 weeks out of the last 52. This rule does not apply at all if you are a refugee or you or the person for whom you care is terminally ill.

Terminal illness means you have been awarded a disability benefit under the terminal illness rules. This is on the basis that you have a progressive disease that can reasonably be expected to cause your death. This must be confirmed by a registered medical practitioner or registered nurse involved in your care. The doctor or nurse should complete a Benefits Assistance under Special Rules in Scotland (BASRiS) form.

How much is carer support payment

Carer support payment is £81.90 a week. 

You are also entitled to carer's allowance supplement if you are getting carer support payment on the relevant dates.

How to claim

You should claim as soon as you can if you think you may be entitled. 

Carer support payment can be backdated by up to 13 weeks from the date the claim is made or sometimes longer if the person for whom you care has just been awarded a relevant disability benefit. In this situation, your carer support payment can be backdated to the date the disability benefit award started, providing you claim within 13 weeks of the disability benefit decision.

To claim you can:

If you disagree with the decision made by Social Security Scotland about carer support payment, you can challenge this decision.

More information

Find out more about which students can get carer support payment and the special backdating rules that may apply.

For in-depth information about the carer support payment, see chapter 75 of the Welfare benefit and tax credits handbook. You'll need a subscription to log in and read the content. 

Read the carer support payment regulations on legislation.gov.uk.