Carer Support Payment Scotland: Eligibility, Rates and How to Apply

Carer Support Payment (CSP) is the Scottish Government's replacement for Carer's Allowance, fully administered by Social Security Scotland. If you're a carer living in Scotland, CSP is the payment you claim — not Carer's Allowance — and the total package is worth more than the UK baseline.

What is Carer Support Payment?

CSP replaced Carer's Allowance for Scottish residents in a phased transfer that began in February 2024; Social Security Scotland had moved every expected case across by November 2025. The weekly rate matches Carer's Allowance (currently £86.45/week), but Scotland adds the Scottish Carer Supplement — an extra £11.70 a week, paid automatically alongside CSP since March 2026. It replaced the old twice-yearly Carer's Allowance Supplement for everyone on CSP; the twice-yearly payment continues only for the small group still on Carer's Allowance (see below).

The combined package means Scottish carers receive more per year than carers in England, Wales or Northern Ireland on Carer's Allowance alone.

Who qualifies?

To receive Carer Support Payment you must:

• Be 16 or over
• Live in Scotland
• Spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
• Care for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit
• Have earnings of no more than £204/week after allowable deductions

Qualifying disability benefits (for the person you care for)

The person you care for must receive one of:

• Child Disability Payment (CDP) — at the middle or highest rate of the care component
• Adult Disability Payment (ADP) — at the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) — at the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component
• Pension Age Disability Payment — at either rate
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance — at the middle or highest rate of the care component
• Attendance Allowance — at either rate
• Constant Attendance Allowance — at or above the normal maximum rate with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, or at or above the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

You receive one Carer Support Payment however many people you care for. If you also care for someone else who gets a qualifying benefit, for 20 hours or more a week, Social Security Scotland can add a Carer Additional Person Payment for each additional person.

How much is it?

The Scottish Carer Supplement replaced the twice-yearly Carer's Allowance Supplement in March 2026 for everyone on Carer Support Payment — it was awarded automatically to every carer receiving CSP on 15 March 2026, with no application needed, and is paid alongside the regular CSP payment.

If you are in the small group still receiving Carer's Allowance rather than CSP (mainly carers living abroad, or those who were 65 or over in 2002 and stayed on Carer's Allowance), the twice-yearly Carer's Allowance Supplement still applies: £304.65 per payment in June and December 2026, if you were receiving Carer's Allowance on the qualifying dates of 13 April and 12 October 2026.

Earnings limit: what counts?

The £204/week earnings limit is assessed after allowable deductions:

• Half of pension contributions you pay
• Allowable expenses directly related to your work (for self-employed carers)
• Childcare or caring fees you pay so you can work — up to 50% of your take-home pay (caring fees must be for the person you get CSP for)

Earnings above £204/week (net of deductions) make you ineligible. Self-employed carers: the DWP/Social Security Scotland test looks at your actual earned income, not your turnover.

Students and Carer Support Payment

Full-time students in non-advanced education (school, college below HNC level) who are under 20 cannot claim CSP. However, this restriction does not apply to higher education students (university) or further education students aged 20+. If you're a student carer at university or college, you can still claim CSP provided you meet the 35-hour caring requirement and the earnings test.

How to apply

Apply online or by phone through Social Security Scotland:

• Online: mygov.scot/carer-support-payment
• Phone: 0800 182 2222 (free to call, Monday–Friday 8am–5pm)
• Paper form: available from Social Security Scotland on request

1. 1

   Check the person you care for receives a qualifying benefit

   You'll need their National Insurance number and the reference number of their disability benefit. If they've recently applied for CDP or ADP and are waiting for a decision, wait until the award is confirmed before applying for CSP.
2. 2

   Gather your information

   You'll need: your National Insurance number, bank or building society details, information about your employment and earnings, details of any childcare or pension costs you want to deduct.
3. 3

   Complete the online application

   Apply at mygov.scot/carer-support-payment — you register or sign in with myaccount, and you can save your application as you go and come back to it.
4. 4

   Wait for a decision

   Processing time depends on your circumstances — Social Security Scotland asks you to wait at least 6 weeks before chasing. You'll receive a letter explaining the decision. If approved, your first payment is always backdated to your requested start date, paid as a lump sum.

Effect on other benefits

Universal Credit: CSP counts as income for Universal Credit, which can reduce your UC amount. However, UC includes a carer element (currently £209.34/month) for UC claimants who also receive CSP. In many cases the carer element more than compensates for the reduction — but the exact effect depends on your individual circumstances.

Housing Benefit: CSP counts as income for Housing Benefit calculations.

Council Tax Reduction: Claiming CSP can qualify you for a Council Tax Reduction through your local council. This is separate from the UK-wide support and worth checking.

If you're unsure how CSP will interact with your existing benefits, contact a welfare rights adviser through Citizens Advice Scotland before applying.

Carer Support Payment vs Carer's Allowance

If you claimed Carer's Allowance before the Scottish transfer, Social Security Scotland automatically migrated your claim to CSP. You should have received a letter confirming this. If you live in Scotland and still get Carer's Allowance without having had that letter, contact Social Security Scotland — since 6 November 2025 anyone in Scotland on Carer's Allowance has had to apply for CSP.

New claimants in Scotland must apply to Social Security Scotland for CSP — not to DWP for Carer's Allowance.

Related: Young Carer Grant — an annual payment for young carers aged 16–19. Child Disability Payment — often the qualifying benefit for the person being cared for.