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Carer Support Payment pilot launched

  • Area of Work: Policy and Research
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 21st November 2023
Illustration of five different coloured houses against a pale orange background. From left to right, the houses are purple, blue, yellow, pink, and green. In each of the houses sits a person.

The pilot is the first part of the phased roll-out that will lead to the payment being available across Scotland by autumn 2024.

The Scottish Government have launched the pilot phase for their new Carer Support Payment, with applications initially open in Dundee, Perth and Kinross, and Na h-Eileanan Siar. The payment is intended to offer financial support to unpaid carers and is administered by Social Security Scotland. As part of the ongoing implementation of the Scottish Parliament’s devolved social security powers, the Carer Support Payment is the replacement for the Carer’s Allowance currently administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

At launch, eligibility for the Carer Support Payment is slightly wider than the payment it replaces, as it will be available to people in full time education at College and University level. The Scottish Government estimates that, when the payment is fully rolled out, this will mean around 1,500 more unpaid carers will be eligible to receive the payment, on top of the approximately 80,000 people currently receiving Carer’s Allowance.

Carer Support Payment will be rolled out to other areas of Scotland starting in spring 2024, and will be available nationwide from autumn 2024. People currently receiving Carer’s Allowance do not need to re-apply for the Carer Support Payment as their cases will be automatically transferred within the two years following national roll-out.

The ALLIANCE previously responded to the Scottish Government consultation on the payment, welcoming the proposed changes but calling for those to go further and faster. We supported the proposals to widen access to the payment to people in full time education, but encouraged the Scottish Government to ensure that included young carers still attending secondary school. We also support the longer-term proposals to increase the earnings limit that determines eligibility for the payment and to offer support for longer after a change in caring circumstances such as hospitalisation or bereavement.

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