How Carer Support Payment works
Carer Support Payment is money to help you if you’re a carer. You can get paid £81.90 a week if you’re eligible.
Read more about who can apply for Carer Support Payment.
Where you live
You can apply for Carer Support Payment now if you live in:
- Dundee City
- Perth and Kinross
- the Western Isles
To find out if applications are open in your area, go to the Carer Support Payment postcode checker.
If you live anywhere else, you can apply for Carer Support Payment when applications open in your area. Or you can apply now for Carer's Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Find out more about Carer's Allowance at GOV.UK.
You cannot get Carer Support Payment and Carer's Allowance at the same time.
Carer Support Payment will be available in more areas from spring 2024 and across Scotland by autumn 2024.
If you get Carer's Allowance and live in Scotland, you do not need to apply for Carer Support Payment. Your benefit will move to Carer Support Payment. This is planned to happen between February 2024 and spring 2025.
How you're paid
Carer Support Payment is normally paid every 4 weeks, at the end of the 4 weeks.
If you move from Carer's Allowance to Carer Support Payment, you can get paid weekly.
It can be paid into a UK bank account. This can be your own account or someone else’s. If you do not have a UK bank account, Social Security Scotland will contact you about payment options after you apply.
If you or the person you care for have a terminal illness
A terminal illness is an illness or condition which cannot be cured and is likely to lead to someone's death. It's sometimes called a life-limiting illness.
You can get paid Carer Support Payment weekly if you or the person you care for:
- have a terminal illness, and
- already get another benefit through the special rules for people who have a terminal illness
Special rules for benefits if someone has a terminal illness
There are Special Rules for Terminal Illness for:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Child Disability Payment
Find out more about Special Rules for Terminal Illness.
For these 3 benefits, it’s called Special Rules for End of Life:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Attendance Allowance
Find out about Special Rules for End of Life at GOV.UK.
If you or the person you care for get any of these 3 benefits under the special rules, you can ask to be paid weekly in advance instead of every 4 weeks. You'll still get the same amount overall. To request a change in how you get paid, contact Social Security Scotland.
What else you can get
Other benefits if you get Carer Support Payment
If you get Carer Support Payment, you may get these extra payments:
And you'll get National Insurance credits – learn more at GOV.UK.
You do not need to apply for any of these.
Other benefits you can apply for
To find out what benefits you can get, use our benefit calculators.
If you're on a low income or out of work, you can also apply for:
If you've reached State Pension age, you can apply for Pension Credit at GOV.UK.
If you provide care for 20 hours a week or more, you can apply for Carer's Credit at GOV.UK.
If you're aged 16 to 18
If you provide care for 16 hours a week on average, you may be able to get Young Carer Grant. You can apply for Young Carer Grant before Carer Support Payment. If you're already getting Carer Support Payment, you will not be able to get Young Carer Grant.
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