What is Carer Support Payment in Scotland?

What Carer Support Payment is

Carer Support Payment is money for people in Scotland who give unpaid care. It took the place of Carer's Allowance in Scotland. Social Security Scotland runs it, not the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

If you move from England or Wales to Scotland, tell DWP and apply for Carer Support Payment. Your Carer's Allowance stops 13 weeks after you move.

Who it is for

You can usually get it if you:

• are 16 or over
• care for someone for 35 hours or more a week
• usually live in Scotland
• earn under the weekly earnings limit, if you work (check the current limit with Social Security Scotland)

The person you care for must get one of these:

• Adult Disability Payment or PIP (daily living part)
• Child Disability Payment or DLA (middle or highest care rate)
• Pension Age Disability Payment or Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Constant Attendance Allowance at the right rate

How much you get (2026/27)

Scottish Carer Supplement replaced Carer's Allowance Supplement. Neither the supplement nor the additional person payment affects other benefits.

Worked example 1: caring for one person

Alan cares for his mum, who gets Attendance Allowance.

• £86.45 + £11.70 = £98.15 a week
• Every 4 weeks: £392.60
• Over a year: about £5,104

Worked example 2: caring for two people

Fiona cares for her son (35 hours a week) and her dad (20 hours a week). Both get a qualifying benefit.

• £86.45 + £11.70 + £10.40 = £108.55 a week
• Every 4 weeks: £434.20

You must give at least 20 hours of care a week to each extra person.

Things that change the amount

• State Pension and some other benefits can reduce Carer Support Payment, sometimes to £0.
• If your award is £0, you cannot get the additional person payment.
• Payments are usually every 4 weeks, at the end of the 4 weeks. Weekly payments are possible in some cases, such as terminal illness.

Working and studying

Take-home pay is your pay after tax, National Insurance and some expenses. You can take off half of what you pay into a pension, and some childcare or care costs. Benefits and pensions do not count as earnings.

You can study part time (under 21 hours a week). If you are 20 or over you can study any course. Many full-time students aged 16 to 19 at school or college cannot get it.

How to apply

• Online through mygov.scot (you can save and come back)
• By phone: 0800 182 2222, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
• On paper (download it or ask for one)
• With a client support adviser, at home, by phone or video

Have your bank details and the cared-for person's date of birth, address and National Insurance number (or Child Reference Number if under 16).

Related guides

• What is Carer's Allowance?
• Can I get Carer's Allowance?
• What is Adult Disability Payment?
• What is Child Disability Payment?
• What is the Universal Credit carer element?

Where these figures come from

• Carer Support Payment (mygov.scot)
• Who can apply
• Qualifying benefits
• If you work
• If you study
• Additional people you care for
• How to apply
• Carer's Allowance (GOV.UK)