Carer Support Payment and help for carers in Scotland (2026/27)

Carer Support Payment is Scotland’s replacement for Carer’s Allowance. In 2026/27 it pays £86.45 a week to carers aged 16 or over who give at least 35 hours of unpaid care a week to someone getting a qualifying disability benefit, as long as their take-home pay is £204 a week or less. Social Security Scotland automatically adds the Scottish Carer Supplement of £11.70 a week. Since March 2026, carers who look after more than one person can also get £10.40 a week for each extra person they care for at least 20 hours a week.

In short

• Carer Support Payment: £86.45 a week in 2026/27 (up from £83.30). Earnings limit: £204 a week take-home pay after allowable deductions.
• Scottish Carer Supplement: £11.70 a week, paid automatically with Carer Support Payment. It replaced the twice-yearly Carer’s Allowance Supplement.
• Carer Additional Person Payment: £10.40 a week (£41.60 every four weeks) for each extra person cared for 20 hours or more a week.
• Payments are made every four weeks in arrears. People with a terminal illness, or caring for someone who has one, can be paid weekly in advance.
• Full-time students aged 20 or over can claim, which is not possible with Carer’s Allowance.
• Young Carer Grant: £405.10 once a year for carers aged 16 to 19 who care for an average of 16 hours a week.

Who can get Carer Support Payment

You can apply if you:

• are 16 or over and usually live in Scotland (there are limited exceptions for people living elsewhere);
• give unpaid care for 35 hours or more a week;
• care for someone who gets a qualifying benefit at the right rate;
• have take-home pay of £204 a week or less, if you work.

The care must be unpaid. Care given as a paid care worker or through a volunteering scheme does not count. Only one carer can get Carer Support Payment for the same person. You cannot get it if another carer already gets Carer’s Allowance or the Universal Credit carer element for that person.

Qualifying benefits for the person you care for

If your parent has not claimed Pension Age Disability Payment yet, start there.

What you get in 2026/27

Over a full year, that is £5,103.80 for one person or £5,644.60 for two. The Scottish Carer Supplement and the Carer Additional Person Payment do not affect other benefits.

Working and studying

The £204 limit applies to take-home pay, not gross pay. Take-home pay is earnings after tax and National Insurance, minus:

• half of any pension contributions;
• childcare costs paid so you can work, up to half your take-home pay;
• care costs for the person you look after, paid so you can work, up to half your take-home pay;
• work expenses your employer does not repay, but not normal commuting;
• business running costs if you are self-employed.

The limit is a cliff edge. Going even £1 over £204 can mean no Carer Support Payment for the period your earnings cover, although Social Security Scotland can sometimes average earnings over several weeks. Check before taking extra shifts. Our guide to the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit works in a similar way for carers in England.

Students aged 20 or over can claim even if they study full-time. Students aged 16 to 19 on certain full-time courses at school or college, such as Nationals or Highers, cannot. They may get the Young Carer Grant instead.

State Pension and other benefits

Carer Support Payment can be reduced, or not paid at all, if you get State Pension or some other benefits, because of the overlapping benefit rules. It is still worth claiming. You may have an “underlying entitlement”, which can increase means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit. If the award is reduced to £0, you cannot get the Carer Additional Person Payment.

Check one thing first: if the person you care for gets a severe disability addition in a means-tested benefit, it can stop once you are paid. A benefits adviser can work out the overall effect.

How to apply

1. Make sure the person you care for has their qualifying benefit, or has applied.
2. Apply online through mygov.scot, by phone on 0800 182 2222 (free) or on a paper form.
3. Have your National Insurance number and bank details ready, plus the cared-for person’s name, date of birth and National Insurance number if you know them.
4. Add any extra person you care for 20 hours or more using the “Add a person” form, or apply for both at once.

If the person you care for dies, payments now carry on for 12 weeks rather than 8. That change came in from March 2026. If they go into a care home or hospital, their own benefit may stop, and your Carer Support Payment will then stop too. Tell Social Security Scotland about the change. Our guide to bereavement support for carers covers the weeks after a death.

Worked example

Fiona, 58, works part-time with take-home pay of £190 a week. She cares for her mother, who gets the higher rate of Pension Age Disability Payment, for about 40 hours a week. She also helps her father, who gets Attendance Allowance, for 22 hours a week.

• Carer Support Payment for caring for her mother: £86.45
• Scottish Carer Supplement: £11.70
• Carer Additional Person Payment for her father: £10.40
• Total: £108.55 a week, paid as £434.20 every four weeks

If a pay rise took her take-home pay to £210, she would lose all three payments, worth £5,644.60 a year. Paying into a pension could bring her back under the limit, because half of contributions are deducted.

Young carers

The Young Carer Grant pays £405.10 a year in 2026/27 to carers aged 16 to 19. To qualify, they must have cared for one, two or three people for an average of 16 hours a week for at least the last three months. They can apply once a year until they turn 20. It cannot be paid alongside Carer Support Payment, and they do not have to say how they spend it. Under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, a young carer is also entitled to a young carer statement setting out the support they need. See our guide to young carers and the Carer’s Leave Act.

Help beyond money: your rights under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016

• Adult carer support plan (section 6): any adult carer can ask the council for one. There is no minimum number of hours.
• Support for eligible needs (sections 21 and 24): each council publishes local eligibility criteria and must give support to carers whose needs meet them. That can include breaks from caring (section 25).
• No charge for carer support: support provided to meet a carer’s own assessed needs cannot be charged for, under the Carers (Waiving of Charges for Support) (Scotland) Regulations 2014.
• Hospital discharge (section 28): the health board must involve you before the person you care for leaves hospital.
• Short breaks services statement (section 35): each council must publish what breaks are available locally.

If you work, the Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024 also apply in Scotland. They give employees one week of unpaid carer’s leave a year from their first day in the job, which can be taken in half days or full days.

For your parent’s own care, see home care charges in Scotland. For the bigger picture, read paying for care in Scotland. If you manage your parent’s money, a Scottish power of attorney makes dealing with Social Security Scotland easier.

Mistakes to avoid

• Not claiming because you get State Pension. Underlying entitlement can still increase Pension Credit.
• Missing the Additional Person Payment. It is not added automatically. You must add the second person.
• Not asking for an adult carer support plan. Breaks and other help for you are free once assessed. See respite care explained.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Carer Support Payment in 2026/27?

Carer Support Payment is £86.45 a week from April 2026, paid as £345.80 every four weeks. Social Security Scotland adds the Scottish Carer Supplement of £11.70 a week automatically, making £98.15 a week in total. Carers who look after a second person for 20 hours or more can get £10.40 a week more.

What is the earnings limit for Carer Support Payment?

Your take-home pay must be £204 a week or less, about £884 a month. Take-home pay is earnings after tax and National Insurance, less half of any pension contributions, some childcare or care costs paid so you can work, and unreimbursed work expenses. Earning even slightly over £204 can mean no payment for that week, although earnings can sometimes be averaged.

Can I get Carer Support Payment if I am a student in Scotland?

Yes, if you are 20 or over, even if you study full-time. That is a key difference from Carer’s Allowance. Students aged 16 to 19 on certain full-time courses, such as Nationals or Highers, cannot claim. They may be able to get the Young Carer Grant of £405.10 a year instead.

What is the Carer Additional Person Payment?

It is an extra £10.40 a week, paid as £41.60 every four weeks, for each additional person you care for at least 20 hours a week who gets a qualifying disability benefit. You must already get Carer Support Payment above £0. It started in March 2026 and you need to apply using the “Add a person” form.

Is the Scottish Carer Supplement still paid twice a year?

No. The Scottish Carer Supplement replaced the twice-yearly Carer’s Allowance Supplement. It is now £11.70 a week, paid automatically every four weeks alongside Carer Support Payment. It does not affect any other benefits, and you do not need to apply for it separately.

Can I get Carer Support Payment if I get State Pension?

You can claim, but the payment may be reduced or not paid because of the overlapping benefit rules. Even if nothing is paid, you may have an underlying entitlement, which can increase means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit. Check with a benefits adviser how this affects the person you care for.

Sources

• mygov.scot: Carer Support Payment
• mygov.scot: who can apply for carer benefits
• mygov.scot: Carer Support Payment if you work
• mygov.scot: qualifying benefits
• mygov.scot: Carer Additional Person Payment
• mygov.scot: Young Carer Grant
• Scottish Government: social security up-rating for 2026-27
• Social Security Scotland: increased support for carers
• Social Security Scotland: Carer Support Payment factsheet
• Carers (Scotland) Act 2016
• The Carers (Waiving of Charges for Support) (Scotland) Regulations 2014
• The Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024

General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures for 2026/27, checked October 2026.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 29 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.