Carer Support Payment
For more information, visit the Parkinson’s UK website (last updated July 2025).
Carer Support Payment is a benefit for people living in Scotland who regularly spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone with substantial care needs.
It was introduced in 2024, replacing Carer’s Allowance. If you got Carer’s Allowance you were automatically moved across between February 2024 and spring 2025.
You don’t have to be related to the person you’re caring for or be living with them to qualify for Carer Support Payment. The person you’re caring for must be getting a qualifying benefit.
You can qualify even if you’ve never been employed or paid National Insurance contributions.
Carer Support Payment isn’t affected by how much you have in savings. However, if you (the carer) receive weekly earnings of £196 or more after tax, you won’t qualify. The benefit is also taxable.
You can get Carer Support Payment even if you, the carer, are disabled and getting Pension Age Disability Payment (the new benefit replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland), Adult Disability Payment (the new benefit replacing Personal Independence Payment in Scotland), or Disability Living Allowance.
If you claim Carer Support Payment, it can sometimes reduce the amount of means-tested benefits that the person you care for can claim. To find out more, contact Citizens Advice or another organisation that gives benefits advice – your local welfare rights group, for example. You can contact the Parkinson’s UK helpline for information about organisations that can help.
What if I’m in England, Wales or Northern Ireland?
People in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can claim Carer’s Allowance, which has similar rules to Carer Support Payment.
Qualifying for Carer Support Payment
You must be spending 35 hours or more a week caring for someone who receives 1 of the benefits below to qualify for Carer Support Payment:
- Pension Age Disability Payment (the new benefit replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland)
- Adult Disability Payment (the new benefit replacing Personal Independence Payment in Scotland) – either rate of the daily living component
- Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate
- Child Disability Payment – the middle or highest care rate
- Constant Attendance Allowance from either maximum Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or full day rate of War Pension Disablement Benefit
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
You must also:
- be aged 16 or over at the time of your claim
- have been living in the UK for 2 of the last 3 years (and your immigration status doesn’t prevent you claiming)
- be ‘habitually resident’ in the UK
- not be in full-time education (which means you’re not on an educational course of 21 hours or more supervised study a week)
- not earn more than £196 a week (after tax), if you’re in paid employment
Do other benefits affect Carer Support Payment?
Yes. You can’t be paid Carer Support Payment if you’re getting the same amount or more from any of the following benefits:
- State Pension
- Contribution/new-style Employment and Support Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- Maternity Allowance
- Bereavement Allowance, Widow’s Benefits or Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- Contribution-based/new-style Jobseeker’s Allowance
These benefits ‘overlap’, so you can only get paid the higher of the 2 benefits.
Young Carer’s Grant
Young carers in Scotland can claim the Young Carer’s Grant.
This is for carers who are aged 16-18, provide care for 16 hours a week or more for at least 3 months, and don’t receive Carer Support Payment. You can receive it if you’re still in education, in work or unemployed.
How to claim Carer Support Payment or Young Carer’s Grant
You can make a claim for Carer Support Payment or Young Carer’s Grant online on the government website. You can also apply on the phone, by post or in person using the details.
Carer’s Credit
Carer’s Credit is intended to protect the State Pension rights of carers who aren’t able to pay National Insurance contributions and aren’t entitled to Carer Support Payment.
You could get it if you care for someone for at least 20 hours a week and aren’t entitled to Carer Support Payment.
You won’t directly receive any money for Carer’s Credit. But by filling any gaps in your National Insurance record (for example, because you’re unable to work while caring for someone) it will help to protect your State Pension entitlement and other benefits that depend on National Insurance contributions.