Young carer grant

On this page

• Who can get a young carer grant
• How much is the young carer grant
• Claiming a young carer grant
• More information

Who can get a young carer grant

You can get a young carer grant if:

• you normally live in Scotland;
• you are aged 16, 17 or 18. You normally have to be under 19 to claim, but if you have missed the deadline due to the coronavirus outbreak your claim can be treated as if it was made before you turned 19;
• you are not entitled to carer’s allowance or carer support payment on the day you claim;
• you are caring for someone, or for more than one person, who has a disability;
• you are providing care for at least 16 hours a week on average; and
• no-one else has received a young carer grant in respect of the person you care for in the last year.

Caring for someone with a disability

To get a young carer grant the person you provide care for must be getting either:

• adult disability payment or personal independence payment daily living component;
• child disability payment or disability living allowance care component, middle or highest rate;
• Scottish adult disability living allowance care component, middle or highest rate;
• attendance allowance; or
• pension age disability payment.

‘Care’ means something that involves an activity which promotes the physical, mental or emotional wellbeing of the person you are caring for. You must not be providing the care under a contract or as voluntary work.

How many hours

In the 13 week period before you claim you must have provided 208 hours of care and you must have provided it in at least 10 of the 13 weeks.

The hours of care can be made up of the time you spend caring for up to three people who have disabilities.

Has someone else received a young carer grant

You cannot normally get a young carer grant if someone else has, in the year before you claim, received a young carer grant for the person you care for.

How much is the young carer grant

The young carer grant is £390.25 and you can get one grant per year. You can get a maximum of three grants in total.

Claiming a young carer grant

To claim you can:

• phone Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222
• claim online at mygov.scot
• download a paper claim form from mygov.scot

If you disagree with the decision made by Social Security Scotland on your young carer grant claim you can challenge this decision.

More information

For in-depth information about the young carer grant, see chapter 63 of the Welfare benefits handbook. You'll need a subscription to be able to log in and read the content.

Social Security Scotland has published guidance about the young carer grant on its website.

Read the young carer grant regulations on the legislation.gov.uk website.