Carer Support Payment (Scotland) - Can I get Carer Support Payment?

You can get Carer's Allowance if you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week. 

The person you care for must be getting a benefit because of their disability, for example: 

• Either rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment for working age disabled people 
• Either rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment for working age disabled people 
• The middle or highest rate of care component of Child Disability Payment for disabled children
• The middle or highest rate of care component of Disability Living Allowance  
• Attendance Allowance for disabled people over 66 
• Armed Forces Independence Payment for people with disabilities as a result of their service in the armed forces 

• Constant Attendance Allowance of £88.70 or more with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, or basic (full day) or above rate with a War Disablement Pension. 

You do not need to be living with the person you are caring for. 

If you are in paid work, you might still be able to get Carer Support Payment, but you must not earn more than £151 in take home pay each week. However, certain expenses can be deducted from this. 

It does not matter if you have savings as these will not be taken into account. 

You do not have to have paid any national insurance contributions to get Carer Support Payment. 

You do not qualify for Carer Support Payment if:

• you are aged 16 to 19 and study a course for 21 hours or more a week at secondary school or college; or
• someone else is already claiming Carer Support Payment for looking after the same person. 

Before you make a claim for Carer Support Payment, you should check with the person you are caring for, as it may affect some of the benefits they receive if you are successful. For example, losing a Severe Disability Premium from their: 

• Income Support 
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) 
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) 
• Pension Credit 
• Housing Benefit (England, Wales, Scotland)