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Carer Support Payment

Universal Credit and other income-related benefits

Last updated
5 Apr 2026

Carer Support Payment is counted as income for:

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

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will reduce the amount you get from any of these benefits if you also get Carer Support Payment. But it can take DWP some time to reduce your payments. Until they do that, you'll likely be overpaid for any other benefits.

Your first Carer Support Payment

Your first Carer Support Payment will always be backdated. This means Social Security Scotland will pay you a lump sum that covers the period from your requested start date to when you receive your first payment. Depending on how far you backdate your start date, this could be a substantial amount.

If you get Universal Credit

It's likely DWP will overpay your Universal Credit:

  • where Social Security Scotland backdates your Carer Support Payment
  • for your ongoing payments, until DWP reduces your Universal Credit

You'll need to pay this back. DWP may reduce your Universal Credit to recover the overpayments. You will not usually need to pay anything back directly.

If you live with a partner who gets Universal Credit

If you get Carer Support Payment, DWP will reduce your partner's Universal Credit.

Until that happens, DWP will likely have overpaid your partner. They will need to pay this back.

If you get other income-related benefits

When you apply for Carer Support Payment you can choose to reduce your first payment. This means you will not be overpaid for any of the following benefits:

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

After that, DWP will reduce your payments for your other benefit.

If you live with a partner who gets income-related benefits

When you apply for Carer Support Payment, you'll be asked if:

  • you live with a partner
  • your partner gets one of the 4 income-related benefits

Your partner's income or benefits do not affect your Carer Support Payment. But your Carer Support Payment will affect any income-related benefits they get.

If you choose to reduce your first payment, it means your partner will not be overpaid.

After that, DWP will reduce your partner's payments for their income-related benefit.

Why you'll be better off overall

You'll usually be better off overall if you get Carer Support Payment and other income-related benefits. This is because:

DWP does not count Scottish Carer Supplement and Carer Additional Person Payment as income. This means they do not affect any other benefits you get.

Benefits advice

If you’re unsure how you might be affected by anything on this page, you should speak to a benefits advisor.

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