Advising Disabled Children and Families e-bulletin
In this issue:
- Changes to carer benefits
- Moving to Scotland from other parts of the UK
- Scottish government response to the independent review of ADP
Changes to carer benefits
The Carer’s Assistance (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments, Revocation, Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 were laid on 6 November 2025 and provide for various changes to support for carers, most of which come into force on 15 March 2026.
One change already made from 16 November 2025 was to extend the young carer grant to 19-year-olds. Previously, this grant was only paid to 16–18-year-olds, but young carers can now get payment for one extra year. For more information and how to apply, see Young Carer Grant - mygov.scot.
From 15 March 2026 ‘carer support’ will become an umbrella term for:
- carer support payment (CSP),
- carer additional person payment (CAPP), and
- Scottish carer supplement (SCS)
The additional person payment and the carer supplement will only be paid to those who are being paid CSP. They will be paid alongside CSP if eligible, but are separate payments and, unlike CSP, will not be taken into account as income for means-tested benefits such as universal credit.
The new carer additional person payment will provide extra income for those on CSP who care for more than one person who gets a qualifying disability benefit. The additional payment will be £10 per week per additional cared-for person and is expected to rise to £10.40 per week from 5 April 2026. You must be caring for the additional person for at least 20 hours per week to qualify. You will need to claim the additional person payment and will be able to do this when claiming CSP. Social Security Scotland intend to write to those already getting CSP to invite them to claim CAPP if they are eligible.
The Scottish carer supplement will replace the carer’s allowance supplement and will be an extra payment of £11.29 per week, expected to rise to £11.70 from 5 April 2026. It will be awarded automatically to carers in receipt of CSP instead of the current method of two lump sum payments per year.
Regulations also provide for carer support to be paid for 12 weeks (rather than eight) following the death of a cared-for person.
Moving to Scotland from other parts of the UK
The Social Security (Cross-border Provision, Case Transfer and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 makes changes which affect carers and disabled people who move to Scotland from another part of the UK.
Individuals in receipt of carer’s allowance (CA) or UK disability benefits now have to claim the equivalent Scottish benefits of carer support payment (CSP), child disability payment (CDP), adult disability payment (ADP), Scottish adult DLA (SADLA) or pension age disability payment (PADP) and should do so as soon as possible after moving. The UK carer and disability benefits stop around 13 weeks after the date of the move. The previous transfer process, which meant no claim was needed for these benefits, has ended.
Those changes commenced on 6 November for carers and those getting DLA for children or personal independence payment (PIP). From 23 February 2026, this also affects those getting attendance allowance (AA) and adult disability living allowance (DLA) who move to Scotland. Instead of being transferred to the Scottish equivalent benefits of pension age disability benefit (PADP) or Scottish adult DLA (SADLA) they will need to claim those benefits (or make a ‘request’ in the case of SADLA).
For the Scottish benefits, individuals should contact Social Security Scotland (SSS) to start the claim within 26 weeks of the move. Disability benefit claims should be completed (part 2 submitted) within 34 weeks of the move (32 weeks for CDP) so that awards can start from the date the UK benefits end. If claims are made outside those time limits, awards may still be backdated if there is a good reason for the late claim.
For more information see Benefits for carers
Scottish government response to the independent review of ADP
The final report of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, written by Edel Harris OBE, was published on 31 July 2025. The Scottish Government has now published its response to the review. This is part of ongoing work intended to improve Scotland’s social security system for disabled people.
The document sets out the recommendations that will be implemented within the next three months, those that require further research or development, and those which will not be taken forward at this stage.