05 January 2024 , 13:24
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More than 80,000 people claiming Carer's Allowance in Scotland will start moving onto a new benefit payment from next month.
The new benefit payment is called Carer Support Payment and will be administered and managed by Social Security Scotland - which is the Scottish equivalent of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It will be the fourteenth benefit administered by Social Security Scotland.
The amount claimants will be getting will remain the same at £76.75 each week - rising to £81.90 from April 8 this year. If you are already claiming Carer's Allowance, then you do not need to do anything and you will be moved over automatically between February 2024 and Spring 2025. During this period, the DWP will continue to make payments to claimants so they should see no disruption during the switchover.
You can already apply for the new benefit in some areas of Scotland and currently, these include Perth and Kinross, Dundee City and Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles). More areas will be able to put in a claim for Carer's Support Payment from the Spring and a nationwide rollout across Scotland by Autumn 2024.
According to Social Security Scotland, you will be told when you are to be moved over.
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The weekly earnings threshold - so the amount you can earn whilst claiming - for Carers Support Payment will also be the same as the DWP's Carer's Allowance. This is due to an increase from the current £139 per week to £151 from April 8.
There are some differences between Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment. With the Scottish benefit, you can also choose to be paid weekly instead of every four weeks. The new payment also extends the eligibility criteria to let full-time students apply. Social Security Scotland says around 1,500 more people are expected to be eligible for Carer Support Payment as a result.
To be eligible to claim Carer Support Payment, you need to provide care for someone and be:
- Age 16 or over
- Usually live in Scotland
- Provide care for 35 hours or more a week, this includes if you provide care all day every day
- Not be studying certain courses if you're aged 16 to 19
- Not earn more than £139 a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses
Alongside this, the person you are caring for must claim certain disability benefits, these include:
- Adult Disability Payment – daily living component
- Child Disability Payment – middle or highest care rate
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment – daily living component
- Disability Living Allowance – middle or highest care rate
- Constant Attendant Allowance at or above normal maximum rate with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
- Armed Forces Independence Payment