Advice Direct Scotland is urging carers to prepare for the switch to the Carer Support Payment

Unpaid carers across Scotland are being encouraged to apply for a new benefit as it becomes available to more people.

National advice agency Advice Direct Scotland is urging carers to prepare for the switch to the Carer Support Payment, which is gradually replacing Carer’s Allowance as part of a phased nationwide rollout.

From Monday, 4 November, residents in 19 additional local authority areas, including the two largest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, will be able to apply in the final stage of the benefit’s introduction.

Administered by Social Security Scotland, the new benefit is worth £81.90 per week, or £327.60 every four weeks, for those providing 35 hours of care to a family member, friend, or neighbour.

Advice Direct Scotland is also highlighting recent rule changes that expand eligibility to include more student carers.

Since June, the benefit has been available to carers aged 16 to 19 in full-time advanced education, those aged over 20 in full-time education at any level, and carers in part-time education.

Additionally, some carers aged 16 to 19 who are in full-time non-advanced education, including those who are still at school, are now eligible.

Carers, particularly full-time students, may also be able to receive backdated payments from the date the Carer Support Payment was first introduced.

To get these payments, they need to apply within 13 weeks of the benefit becoming available in their area.

If they miss this deadline but have a good reason, they may still be able to receive backdated support.

The Carer Support Payment was first introduced in Perth & Kinross, Dundee, and Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) in November last year, before being extended to Angus, North Lanarkshire, and South Lanarkshire. 

In August, it was further expanded to Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Fife, Moray, and North, East, and South Ayrshire. The benefit is now being made available across the rest of Scotland. 

Advice Direct Scotland is reminding those already receiving Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that they will not be affected by the rollout. Current Carer’s Allowance awards will be gradually transferred to Social Security Scotland.

The DWP will continue to issue Carer’s Allowance until the transition is complete, with no interruption in payments. The amount recipients currently receive will remain the same.

Social Security Scotland will notify people in advance about the transfer of their awards.

The full transition from the DWP to Social Security Scotland is expected to be completed by spring 2025. The new Carer Support Payment will also offer the option to receive payments on a weekly basis, rather than every four weeks.

Carers can check their eligibility and apply for the Carer Support Payment at https://www.mygov.scot/carer-support-payment.

For those who are worried or unsure about the process, advice.scot’s benefits advisers are available to offer support and ensure that claimants receive all the financial help they are entitled to.

The advice.scot team can be reached at 0808 800 9060, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, or through their website at www.advice.scot. 

Additionally, Advice Direct Scotland provides an online benefits calculator to help people assess their entitlement to both devolved and reserved benefits.