A new devolved payment for unpaid carers is now available to claim in several areas, with an additional seven council regions set to open for applications next month. The 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.
From August 19, residents in Fife, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and North, East and South Ayrshire will also be able to apply. Administered by Social Security Scotland, the new benefit is worth £81.90 each week – equating to £327.60 every four weeks – for individuals providing 35 hours of care to a family member, friend or neighbour.
The Carer Support Payment will gradually replace the Carer’s Allowance for nearly 85,000 people living north of the border and is only available to new claimants. Those currently 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 crucial to note that the DWP will continue to pay Carer’s Allowance until the transition 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 remain the same. The weekly earnings threshold will also be the same as the DWP – £151 per week, reports the Daily Record.
The process of transferring benefits began in February this year, not just in areas where the Carer Support Payment is open for new applications but across the entire country. It’s anticipated that all funds will be transferred from the DWP to Social Security Scotland by Spring 2025.
Moreover, the transition from Carer’s Allowance to Carer Support Payment offers the choice to receive payments weekly, as opposed to every four weeks.
It’s still advised that carers living in areas without access to the Carer Support Payment apply for Carer’s Allowance from the DWP to ensure they don’t miss out on financial support.
The Carer Support Payment is also broadening its eligibility to include more student carers. Specifically, some full-time carers aged between 16-19 who are engaged in ‘non-advanced’ education can now claim the benefit.
Certain carers, mainly those who are full-time students, can now have their benefit payments backdated to the date of the Carer Support Payment’s initial launch in November 2023. Over the next few months, the benefit will continue to roll out to additional local councils and will be available throughout Scotland from November 4.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, couldn’t hide her enthusiasm about the recent launch of the scheme in North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and Angus, stating: “I’m delighted that more carers in Scotland can now get Carer Support Payment and I urge every carer who is eligible for the benefit to apply as soon as possible.”
Social Security Scotland has given the green light for backdated payments under the new Carer Support Payment. This initiative is set to take over from Carer’s Allowance for newcomers, while existing recipients will be seamlessly shifted to the new system.
Ben Macpherson, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Social Security, encouraged potential beneficiaries by saying: “I also encourage anyone who thinks they might be eligible to check if they can apply. This includes students studying full-time who are not eligible for Carer’s Allowance.”
Macpherson further emphasised the importance of unpaid carers’ contributions, adding: “The work unpaid carers do is invaluable and I want every carer to get the money they are entitled to.”
As the Carer Support Payment is gradually introduced across Scotland, carers ineligible for Carer’s Allowance but qualifying for the new support can request backdated payments to the date the benefit was initiated in their locality. Social Security Scotland assures this measure ensures no one loses out on funds due to their area being at a later stage in the deployment process.
The group who are likely to benefit most from these backdated payments will be carers between 16 and 19 years old who are undertaking full-time ‘advanced’ education (including university) and those aged over 20 who are also involved in full-time education at any level.
However, to receive the full backdated amount, carers must apply for Carer Support Payment within 13 weeks of the benefit becoming available in their local authority area. Anyone living in Angus, North Lanarkshire or South Lanarkshire will have until September 22, 2024, to submit their application but even after this date, carers may still be eligible for the full backdated payment if there is a valid reason for missing the deadline.