Carer’s Allowance Supplement – a payment only available north of the border – was the first benefit delivered by Social Security Scotland in 2018 to provide extra financial support for carers, recognising their important contribution.
Since the payment’s introduction, unpaid carers in Scotland will be up to £4,475 better off by the end of 2025.
On a visit to our Midlothian Carer Centre to meet with parent carers of adults with additional support needs, Minister for Equalities, Kaukab Stewart, said:
“Social security in Scotland isn’t about renaming benefits previously delivered by the UK Government. We are about delivering social security with dignity, fairness and respect, continually listening to what carers and support organisations have to say to help shape the changes we’re making.
“We introduced Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Young Carer Grant, which are only available in Scotland, and widened eligibility for Carer Support Payment to enable more carers in education to access it. We’re also committed to introducing new extra support for carers who care for more than one person. Changes to help improve the lives of carers in Scotland.
“Social security is something anyone may need at any point in their life. It’s a public service and I encourage all unpaid carers to find out if they are entitled to financial support and apply.”
Carla Bennett, Carer Services Manager at VOCAL Midlothian added:
“Unpaid carers often face financial hardship, with many forced to give up paid work or reduce their hours to support those they care for. Caring for someone comes with additional costs too, such as transport, heating, equipment and food. These expenses, combined with reduced income, mean carers are more likely to experience poverty.
“Demand for VOCAL’s income maximisation service has doubled in the past year, showing that carers are feeling the strain. Accessing financial and social security support can ease this burden and make a significant difference to the lives of carers and those they care for. We would encourage carers to find out what they might be eligible for.”
Background
£4,475 is based on a carer who will have received every Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment since it was introduced in June 2018 to December 2025. This includes the two extra Coronavirus Carer’s Allowance Supplement payments made in June 2020 and December 2021.
Over 172,000 carers have benefited from Carer’s Allowance Supplement since its introduction in 2018, totalling over £333.7 million in payments to December 2024. Read the full report on the Social Security Scotland website.
Carer payments are for people providing care for someone receiving a disability benefit. Find out more about our disability and illness payments on the Scottish Government website.
Further improvements are planned for carers once all clients in Scotland who are receiving Carer’s Allowance are transferred to Carer Support Payment, a process called ‘case transfer’. This includes an extra payment for carers getting Carer Support Payment and caring for more than one person receiving a disability benefit. This improvement, amongst others, will require parliamentary approval. More details available on the Scottish Government website.
At VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian), we support unpaid carers in Edinburgh and Midlothian through individual support, information, training and access to services.
Information on other support for carers, such as financial support, wellbeing support and short breaks from caring, can be found on the Scottish Government website.
Help to apply
Social Security Scotland provides a range of support for people to apply. This includes support to apply in other languages, and an interpreter can be arranged to help in over 100 languages.
Applications can be made in British Sign Language using a video call using the Contact Scotland BSL app. You can apply over the phone, online or face to face. Paper copies of application forms are available by calling Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.
A client support adviser can also help with applications. They can meet at a person’s home, a venue in the local community, provide support over the phone or through a video call. Call 0800 182 2222 for more information.
