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 or Pension Age Disability Payment for people over 66 with care needs. 
• 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 someone else is already claiming Carer Support Payment for looking after the same person. 

Carer Support Payment for students

The rules for Carer Support Payment and students can be complicated. We recommend speaking to a trained benefits advise 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 a 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 mygov.scot  webpage.

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.

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)