After you apply for Carer Support Payment

After you submit your application, Social Security Scotland might contact you if they need more information. They might ask you to send some documents to support your application.

You can find more information about this in how to apply.

Social Security Scotland will send you a letter once they’ve made a decision about your application. They’ll make a decision after they review:

• your completed application 
• all the documents they need from you, or your appointee

If you or your partner get income-related benefits

Social Security Scotland will contact you if you or your partner get any of these benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit

This is because Carer Support Payment could reduce the amount you get from any of those 4 benefits.

If you live with a partner and you start getting Carer Support Payment, it could also reduce the amount they get from those 4 benefits.

This is because Carer Support Payment is counted as income for those benefits. And you can only get those 4 benefits if your household income is below a certain amount. But you can get extra amounts from those benefits if you’re a carer.

If you’re awarded Carer Support Payment, Social Security Scotland will work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) who’ll adjust the amount you or your partner get from those 4 benefits.

Social Security Scotland can reduce your first payment of Carer Support Payment. This would mean DWP does not overpay you. And you do not need to pay any money back.

Before you start getting Carer Support Payment, Social Security Scotland will ask for your consent to reduce your first payment. If you do not consent to this, they can pay your first payment of Carer Support Payment in full. You or your partner may then have to pay money back to DWP for any overpayment of those 4 benefits.

If you disagree with a decision

The letter you get from Social Security Scotland will tell you what to do if you disagree with their decision. 

You can ask them to look at their decision again. This is called requesting a redetermination or appeal.

If you want to do this, you can ask for help from:

• Social Security Scotland
• a friend or family member
• a support organisation, like Citizens Advice Scotland
• your local carer centre

If you no longer want to apply 

Contact Social Security Scotland and ask them to withdraw your application. You can only do this if Social Security Scotland has not yet made a decision about your application.  

You can make a new application for Carer Support Payment later if you want to.

If you have any questions, including about your decision, contact Social Security Scotland.