If your circumstances change
You need to tell Social Security Scotland about any changes that might affect your Carer Support Payment, including:
- changing your name
- changing your address
- starting or finishing a job
- earning more or less money
- if you stop being a carer
- having a temporary stop in providing care
- changes to benefits the person you care for gets
- changes to a course you’re studying at secondary school or college
- changes to your immigration status if you’re not a British citizen
If you do not tell Social Security Scotland about your change of circumstance straight away, you may be prosecuted. Section 72 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 says it's an offence not to tell them about a change of circumstance that they've asked you to. Money may be taken back from you, stopped or reduced in the future if you are paid too much.
Changes to your employment or earnings
To get Carer Support Payment, your take home pay cannot be more than £151 a week.
You need to tell Social Security Scotland about any of these changes:
- starting or finishing a job
- starting or finishing self-employment
- changes to how much you earn
- changes to any additional earnings like tips or fostering fees
- changes to expenses like childcare or travel to work
Read more about Carer Support Payment if you work.
If you temporarily stop providing care
To get Carer Support Payment you must provide care for 35 hours or more every week.
There might be times when you need to temporarily stop providing care for 35 hours a week. For example if:
- you’re in hospital or a hospice
- you’re on holiday without the person you care for
- the person you care for is in hospital or hospice and you are not providing 35 hours of care a week
- the person you care for is in respite care
- the person you care for is on holiday without you
- the person you care for is in a care home
- the person you care for is in prison, a detention centre or a young offenders’ institution
You may still be able to get Carer Support Payment when you stop providing care:
- for up to 12 weeks if you or the person you care for is in hospital
- for up to 4 weeks if you stop providing care for any other reason
If you stop providing care for longer than this, your award may stop until you start providing care again.
To get paid during a temporary stop in care, you need to have provided care:
- for 35 hours or more a week, for 22 weeks
- with no temporary stops in care during that time
If you or the person you care for become terminally ill
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.
Social Security Scotland can pay your Carer Support Payment every week instead of every 4 weeks 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
To get paid weekly, contact Social Security Scotland.
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.
How to tell Social Security Scotland about a change
You should report a change as soon as you can.
Report a change online
You can tell Social Security Scotland about any changes to your circumstances online.
You do not need to create an account.
Report a change on the phone
Call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222 to report a change on the phone. It will be quicker if you have your National Insurance number.
Their opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
If you need to contact Social Security Scotland from outside the UK, call +44 (0)138 2931 000. This call is not free but you can ask Social Security Scotland to call you back. Check with your phone provider for details of charges.
If you’re a British Sign Language user, you can video call Social Security Scotland using the Contact Scotland BSL app.
You can call Social Security Scotland and ask for an interpreter in over 100 languages. They can connect you to an interpreter straight away, or you can book a call in advance.
Report a change by post
If you want to fill in a paper form you can:
- call Social Security Scotland to get one posted to you
- download and print the form
The address to send your form to is shown at the end of the form.
You can get a large print paper form by contacting Social Security Scotland.
What happens if you tell Social Security Scotland about a change
You can ask Social Security Scotland to text you when your form has been received.
You’ll also get a letter telling you if your entitlement to Carer Support Payment will change.
Supporting information
Social Security Scotland might ask you to send them supporting information to confirm what you tell them when you report a change.
They’ll contact you to tell you about any supporting information you need to send.
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
- your local carer centre
- welfare rights advisers at your local council
- a support organisation, like Citizens Advice Scotland
If you want to stop getting Carer Support Payment
Contact Social Security Scotland and ask them to end your Carer Support Payment.
There is a problem
Thanks for your feedback