You might be able to get Carer Support Payment if either:

• you live in an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Gibraltar and have a genuine and sufficient link to Scotland
• you or a family member are posted abroad as a member of the UK Armed Forces, or as a UK Civil Servant

A genuine and sufficient link is where you do not live in Scotland, but have a link to Scotland. For example, you have spent a significant part of your life in Scotland.

 

Read about who can apply for Carer Support Payment

Carer Support Payment is not available to people who are aged 16 and in school full time. But you may be able to get it if you’re below the minimum school leaving age and have exceptional circumstances. Continue reading to find out about exceptional circumstances.

You can get Carer Support Payment if you study full time: 

• at university
• on a college course, such as a Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma

You cannot normally get Carer Support Payment if you spend 21 hours or more a week studying one of the following courses at school or college. This includes home-schooling. By 'studying' we mean in class or doing coursework:

• National Certificates (NC) levels 1 to 6
• National Qualifications (NQ) levels 1 to 6
• Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) level 1 or 2
• Scottish Highers or Advanced Highers
• a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers called a Baccalaureate
• similar courses at school or college, for example A levels

Also, you cannot normally get Carer Support Payment if you do one of these training programmes:

• No One Left Behind
• another training programme supported by your local council, which are sometimes delivered by third sector organisations

But there are exceptional circumstances where you can get Carer Support Payment when you're doing those courses or training programmes. Since June 2024, you may be eligible in any of these circumstances:

• you do not get support from your parents or guardians
• you're responsible for a child or qualifying young person (including being a foster parent)
• you get a disability benefit and have been assessed or treated as having 'limited capability for work'
• you're a student and you live with a partner who is not
• you and a partner you live with are both students, but only your partner meets any of these exceptional circumstances

If you're eligibile for Universal Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Social Security Scotland can take this as evidence that at least one of those exceptional circumstances applies to you. 

Change of circumstances

You may be eligible for Carer Support Payment if you:

• stop studying at school or college for 21 hours or more a week
• stop doing a programme like No One Left Behind
• turn 20
• stop your current course and start doing HNDs, HNCs or university degrees

Other support as a young carer

This could include help from your local carer centre, a personalised support plan, discounts and vouchers from Young Scot, and support if you work or study. Your local carer centre or young carer’s service can support you to make choices about work and education. 

Find out more about support for carers.  

Other benefits you can get

You may be able to get Young Carer Grant. 

If you’re aged 16 to 19, you may be able to get support through the Education Maintenance Allowance. 

You may be able to get help with the costs of starting a new job through Job Start Payment. 

Social Security Scotland adds up:

• your salary if you’re an employee
• any income from self-employment
• any additional earnings you get, such as tips or bonuses

From that total, Social Security Scotland takes off:

• tax and National Insurance you pay
• relevant expenses you tell them about, such as caring fees you pay so you can work
• 50% of any money you pay into your pension

That calculation is what Social Security Scotland calls your take home pay.

Some income does not count towards your take home pay. For example, money you get from:

• other benefits
• pensions
• Income Tax refunds
• student support payments
• fostering fees or allowances

Working and studying as a carer 

Find out about your rights in work from Carers UK.

Working or studying alongside caring can affect your entitlement to benefits.  For money advice: 

• go to Citizens Advice Scotland

• call the Money Talk Team free on 0800 028 1456 

If you get State Pension, you might be eligible for Carer Support Payment but you will not get any payment. This is because you cannot get State Pension and Carer Support Payment at the same time.

You can still apply for Carer Support Payment. If you’re eligible you’ll have ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer Support Payment. This can help you to get either:

• benefits you could not get before, or
• an extra amount paid on top of your other benefits

Benefits you can get an extra amount with

Underlying entitlement might help you get an extra amount if you get any of these benefits:

• Pension Credit
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction
• Universal Credit

Other support for carers

You may be able to get other support when you’re caring for someone. This could include other benefits, wellbeing support and help to take breaks from care.

Find out more about support for carers.