More than 136,000 carers in Scotland are now on the Carer Support Payment caseload, with eligible individuals able to receive nearly £100 each week in financial support.
Carer Support Payment is available to people in Scotland who provide at least 35 hours of care each week for someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit. The benefit is currently worth £86.45 per week, and since March eligible carers also automatically receive the new Scottish Carer Supplement worth £11.70 per week. This means someone receiving both payments could get £98.15 each week.
Caseload figures
New figures from Social Security Scotland show an estimated 136,610 carers were on the Carer Support Payment caseload at the end of June. Of these, 103,500 were receiving a payment, while another 33,110 had an underlying entitlement to the benefit.
Carer Support Payment has now completely replaced the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Carer's Allowance in Scotland, with the transfer of existing claimants completed. A total of 118,550 people previously receiving Carer's Allowance have had their award transferred to the devolved benefit.
Applications and processing
The latest figures also show 56,005 applications for Carer Support Payment had been made by the end of June. Of the 47,515 applications where a decision had been made, 75 per cent were authorised, 15 per cent were denied and 10 per cent were withdrawn.
Online applications are the most common way people apply, with three-quarters of the 56,005 applications made online, while 18 per cent were made by phone and six per cent using a paper application. The most common age group among applicants was people aged 65 and over, who accounted for 13 per cent of applications.
Social Security Scotland also reported an improvement in processing times. The average time for applications decided during June was 61 working days, down from 71 working days in March.
Eligibility and extra payments
To qualify for Carer Support Payment, you must be aged 16 or over, usually live in Scotland, care for someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit, provide at least 35 hours of care each week, and earn no more than £204 per week after tax, National Insurance and certain expenses. People do not have to be related to or live with the person they care for.
Some people can have an 'underlying entitlement' to Carer Support Payment even when another benefit prevents them from receiving it in full. This can potentially increase other benefits or provide access to support they could not otherwise receive.
The Scottish Carer Supplement, which replaced the Carer's Allowance Supplement on March 15, is worth £11.70 per week and is paid alongside Carer Support Payment. There is no separate application to make as eligible recipients receive the supplement automatically.
Some unpaid carers could also qualify for additional financial support if they look after more than one person. Carer Additional Person Payment is worth an extra £10.40 per week for each additional person being cared for. To qualify, a Carer Support Payment recipient must provide at least 20 hours of unpaid care each week for the additional person, who must also receive a qualifying disability benefit. This additional payment needs to be requested either when applying for Carer Support Payment or through the change of circumstances process for existing recipients.
Full details on all the financial support available for people providing care for someone can be found on MYGOV.SCOT.
