Carer Support Payment became available across Scotland from November 2024. This benefit replaced Carer's Allowance in Scotland.

Carer Support Payment is money you can get if you provide care for someone and meet certain eligibility criteria. You must:

• be 16 or over
• usually live in Scotland
• provide care for 35 hours or more a week, this includes if you provide care all day every day
• not earn more than £204 a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses

If you provide care for one or more people you might be able to get:

• Carer Support Payment  
• Scottish Carer Supplement

If eligible Social Security Scotland will award you all 3 at the same time.

Before you make a claim for Carer Support Payment, you should check with the person you are caring for, as it may affect some of the benefits they receive, such as losing a severe disability premium from their:

• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit

Carer Support Payment is money to help you if you are a carer. You can get paid £86.45 a week if you're eligible.

Carer Support Payment is normally paid every 4 weeks, at the end of the 4 weeks.

If you move from Carers Allowance to Carer Support Payment, you can get paid weekly.

If you are entitled to Carer Support Payment, your household will be exempt from the 'benefit cap' which limits the total weekly benefits that can be claimed.

People living in Scotland, who are receiving Carer's Support Payment will also get an extra payment known as Scottish Carer Supplement, it's a weekly payment of £11.70 and does not have any effect on other benefits.

The Carer Additional Person Payment is an extra payment on top of your Carer Support Payment for carers who provide care to more than one qualifying person, it's a payment of £10.40 per week and does not affect any other benefits and is not counted as income.

To be eligible for Carer Support Payment, you must provide care for someone who gets one of these disability benefits:

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

These are sometimes called 'qualifying benefits'.

If you get Carer Support Payment, it will not affect the qualifying benefit the person you care for gets. But it could affect other benefits that you and the person you care for get. If you live with a partner, it could also affect their benefits. 

The quickest way to apply for Carers Support Payment is online.