Carer Support Payment - Can I get Carer Support Payment?

You can get Carer Support Payment if you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week. 

You must live in Scotland and be aged 16 or over. 

The person you care for must be getting one of the benefits listed below:  

• Either rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
• Either rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• The middle or highest rate of care component of Child Disability Payment (CDP)
• The middle or highest rate of care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Scottish Adult DLA
• Pension Age Disability Payment or Attendance Allowance 
• Armed Forces Independence Payment 
• Constant Attendance Allowance of normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Constant Attendance Allowance of £90.20 or more with a War Disablement Pension.

If you are in paid work, you must not earn more than £196 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 don’t have to have paid any National Insurance contributions to get Carer Support Payment. 

You can’t qualify for Carer Support Payment if someone else is already claiming Carer Support Payment for looking after the same person. 

You don’t need to be living with or related to the person you are caring for. 

Carer Support Payment and other benefits 

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)

Carer Support Payment and students

The rules for Carer Support Payment if you are a student can be complicated. We recommend speaking to a trained benefits adviser for guidance. Use the Turn2us Find an Adviser Tool to find support in your area.

Generally, you might be eligible for Carer Support Payment if you are:

• aged 20 or older and in full-time education.
• aged 16 to 19 and in full-time university education or are doing a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) at college.

Normally, you cannot get Carer Support Payment if you spend 21 or more hours per week in non- advanced education . However, from June 2024, some students in non- advanced education may qualify under certain exceptional circumstance, such as if:

• You are responsible for a child or young person.
• You don’t receive support from a parent or guardian.
• You receive a disability benefit and have ‘limited capability for work’.
• You are a student and live with a non-student partner.
• You and your partner are both students, and your partner meets one of the exceptional circumstances listed above.

For more information on Carer Support Payment and people in education, visit the Social Security Scotland website. 

Young Carer Grant

You might also be eligible for a Young Carer Grant, which is money for young carers aged 16 to 18. For more information, read our Young Carer Grant guide.