Carer Support Payment
You may be able to claim Carer Support Payment if you live in Scotland and regularly spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who has Parkinson's.
On this page
- What is Carer Support Payment?
- Do I qualify?
- How much is Carer Support Payment?
- Do other benefits affect Carer Support Payment?
- How is Carer Support Payment paid?
- Young Carer's Grant
- How do I claim Carer Support Payment?
- Can a carer get Carer Support Payment if the person they care for has died?
- Carer's Credit
- Get more support from our helpline
- Get this information in other formats
What is Carer Support Payment?
Carer Support Payment is a benefit for people living in Scotland who regularly spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone with substantial care needs.
It was introduced in 2024, replacing Carer's Allowance. If you got Carer's Allowance you were automatically moved across between February 2024 and spring 2025.
You don't have to be related to the person you're caring for or be living with them to qualify for Carer Support Payment. The person you're caring for must be getting a qualifying benefit (see ‘Do I qualify?’ below for a list).
You can qualify even if you've never been employed or paid National Insurance contributions.
Carer Support Payment isn't affected by how much you have in savings. However, if you (the carer) receive weekly earnings of £204 or more after tax, you won't qualify. The benefit is also taxable.
You can get Carer Support Payment even if you, the carer, are disabled and getting Pension Age Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment.
If you claim Carer Support Payment, it can sometimes reduce the amount of means-tested benefits that the person you care for can claim. To find out more, contact Citizens Advice or another organisation that gives benefits advice like your local welfare rights group, for example.
Contact our helpline for information about organisations that can help.
What if I'm in England, Wales or Northern Ireland?
People in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can claim Carer's Allowance, which has similar rules to Carer Support Payment.
Do I qualify?
You must be 16 or over and spending 35 hours or more a week caring for someone who receives 1 of the benefits below to qualify for Carer Support Payment:
- Pension Age Disability Payment (the new benefit replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland).
- Adult Disability Payment (the new benefit replacing Personal Independence Payment in Scotland), either rate of the daily living component.
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, middle or highest rate of the care component.
- Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate.
- Child Disability Payment, the middle or highest care rate.
- Constant Attendance Allowance from either maximum Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or full day rate of War Pension Disablement Benefit.
- Armed Forces Independence Payment.
You must also:
- have been living in the UK for 2 of the last 3 years (and your immigration status doesn't prevent you claiming)
- be 'habitually resident' in the UK
- not be in full-time education (which means you're not on an educational course of 21 hours or more supervised study a week)
- not earn more than £204 a week (after tax), if you're in paid employment.
How much is Carer Support Payment?
The weekly rate is £86.45.
If you're entitled to Carer Support Payment, you'll also get a 'Carer Support Payment Supplement' of £11.70 per week, paid at the same time as the main payment.
From April 2026 there is a new component of £10.40 per week if you care for more than 1 person.
Do other benefits affect Carer Support Payment?
Yes. You can't be paid Carer Support Payment if you're getting the same amount or more from any of the following benefits:
- State Pension
- New-style Employment and Support Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- Maternity Allowance
- Bereavement Allowance, Widow's Benefits or Widowed Parent's Allowance
- New-style Jobseeker's Allowance
These benefits 'overlap', so you can only get paid the higher of the 2 benefits.
Why should I claim Carer Support Payment?
If you can't be paid Carer Support Payment because of the overlapping benefits rule, you should still make a claim if you're eligible. This may allow you to claim extra or other benefits, even if you can't receive Carer Support Payment itself.
For example, if you qualify for Carer Support Payment, you can get a £48.15-a-week 'carer premium' included in Pension Credit or Housing Benefit.
You can also get £209.34 per month included in your Universal Credit. The Universal Credit amount is paid if the care is provided even if you don't claim Carer Support Payment.
For each week that you're entitled to Carer Support Payment, you also get a Class 1 National Insurance credit. This will help towards your entitlement to a State Pension.
How is Carer Support Payment paid?
Carer Support Payment can be paid weekly in advance or in arrears every 4 weeks.
It can be paid from the date of the award of the qualifying benefit, such as Pension Age Disability Payment or Adult Disability Payment, as long as you apply within 3 months of the date of the awarding letter.
Your money will be paid directly into your bank or building society account.
You can ask for Carer Support Payment to be backdated for 13 weeks at the start of the claim as long as the person receiving the care was entitled to 1 of the qualifying benefits for the same time. You as the carer must also have met all rules to qualify.
Young Carer's Grant
Young carers in Scotland can claim the Young Carer's Grant of £405.10 paid once a year.
This is for carers who are aged 16 to 19, provide care for 16 hours a week or more for at least 3 months, and don't receive Carer Support Payment. You can receive it if you're still in education, in work or unemployed.
How do I claim Carer Support Payment and Young Carer's Grant?
You can also call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.
Alternatively, you can complete a paper form in person with a client support adviser from Social Security Scotland.
You will need to reapply each year.
Can a carer get Carer Support Payment if the person they care for has died?
If the person you're caring for dies, you’ll get Carer Support Payment for up to 12 weeks afterwards.
This is to give carers who have recently been bereaved time to adjust and make plans for their own future.
If you're on an income-related benefit and receive carer premium, the carer premium will also be paid for those 12 weeks.
Carer's Credit
Carer's Credit is intended to protect the State Pension rights of carers who aren't able to pay National Insurance contributions and aren't entitled to Carer Support Payment.
You could get it if you care for someone for at least 20 hours a week and aren't entitled to Carer Support Payment.
You won't directly receive any money for Carer's Credit. But by filling any gaps in your National Insurance record (for example, because you're unable to work while caring for someone) it will help to protect your State Pension entitlement and other benefits that depend on National Insurance contributions.
Claim Carer's Credit online on the GOV.UK website.
Or call 0800 731 0297 (textphone 0800 731 0317).
There is help at hand
If you're worried about money or the cost of living, our helpline advisers can help you understand what financial support is available and make sure you're claiming what you're entitled to.
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Last updated May 2026.
If you'd like to find out more about how we put our information together, including references and the sources of evidence we use, please contact us at [email protected].