Much-needed boost for the country's hard-pressed carers
Carers will get their long awaited £221 supplement from mid-September, the Scottish Government has announced.
Backdated to April, the cash is to be paid twice yearly to the country's registered carers.
It represents a 13% increase on what the Deparment for Work and Pensions (DWP) pays and is the first payment to be distributed by Scotland’s new social security agency.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, cabinet secretary for social security, said: “Making these payments will represent a historic moment, launching a new public service that will deliver a social security system that treats people with dignity, fairness and respect.
“We recognise the important contribution carers make, and we believe the current total paid out to them is not enough. This supplementary payment allows us to get more money in the pockets of carers in Scotland as quickly as possible.”
The carer’s allowance supplement will cost more than £30 million a year and will benefit more than 75,000 carers.
They will receive letters from Social Security Scotland from week beginning 10 September so that they know in advance to expect a payment.
Carers are not required to do anything to receive this payment as, if eligible, it will happen automatically and be paid using the same method that people get their Carer’s Allowance from the DWP.
Social Security Scotland will go live as a public service as soon as it begins to process these payments.
Claire Adams from East Ayrshire Carers Forum said the supplement was welcome, however carers believe they should be paid a living wage.
“We applaud the Scottish Government. Any extra cash for carers is always welcome. However this can’t distract from the reality that carers save the government around £11 billion a year so this cash is really still a drop in the ocean.
“We hope this is just the start of the Scottish Government investing financially in the country’s carers. Full-time carers should be paid a living wage if they can’t work while all carers deserve a standard of living which isn’t just about survival.”
