A nationwide rollout of Carer Support Payment across Scotland will begin in November. A new devolved payment for people providing unpaid care is now available to claim in several locations across Scotland with a further seven council areas set to open for applications next week. Carer Support Payment has already replaced new claims for Carer’s Allowance in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross, the Western Isles, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and Angus.
It will be available to residents in Fife, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and North, East and South Ayrshire from Monday, August 19. The new benefit is administered by Social Security Scotland and worth £81.90 each week - £327.
60 every four weeks - for people providing 35 hours of care to a family member, friend or neighbour. Carer Support Payment will gradually replace Carer's Allowance for nearly 89,000 people living north of the border and is only available to new claimants - people already receiving Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will not be affected by the rollout and will have their current award transferred over to Social Security Scotland in stages. It’s important to be aware the DWP will continue to pay Carer’s Allowance until the move to Carer Support Payment is completed.
There will be no gap in payments during the transfer between benefit platforms and the amount someone receives will stay the same. The weekly earnings threshold will also be the same as the DWP - £151 .