Carer Support Payment - What is Carer Support Payment?

Carer Support Payment is money for people in Scotland who spend at least 35 hours a week providing regular care to someone who has a disability. 

You don't need to be related to the person or live with them.

The person you care for must be getting a qualifying disability benefit, and in some cases, it has to be paid at a certain rate.  

You can qualify for Carer Support Payment whether you are in or out of work. However, you must not earn more than £196 a week.  

Carer Support Payment usually counts in full as income when calculating your entitlement for means-tested benefits .

If you get Carer Support Payment (or are entitled to it but do not get it because of Overlapping Benefit Rules), you will also get a Carer’s Premium/Additional amount included in your means-tested benefit (Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Pension Credit and Housing Benefit). 

Applies to: Scotland  

Age rules: You must be 16 or over (see next section for more details) 

Type of benefit: Non means-tested (but you mustn't earn over £196 per week) 

Taxable: Yes 

Administered by: Social Security Scotland (SSS)