Carer Support Payment · Scotland guide

Caring for someone in Scotland? There’s £86.45 a week for that.

Last verified 18 Jun 2026 · Source mygov.scot + Social Security Scotland + Scottish Government 2026/27 up-rating

Carer Support Payment is Scotland’s replacement for Carer’s Allowance — and it’s now available Scotland-wide. If you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who gets a qualifying disability benefit, and you earn no more than £204 a week after deductions, you can get £86.45 a week (2026/27). Unlike the old Carer’s Allowance, full-time students can claim it too. It’s delivered by Social Security Scotland, and carers also get the Carer’s Allowance Supplement on top.

£86.45/wk2026/27 rate
35+ hrs/wkTime spent caring
£204/wkEarnings limit (after deductions)
0800 182 2222Social Security Scotland
Do I qualify? → Check my benefits

What it is

Carer Support Payment is money for people who give a lot of unpaid care. It is the Scottish version of Carer’s Allowance — Social Security Scotland has taken it over from the DWP, and it is now fully rolled out across Scotland. If you already got Carer’s Allowance in Scotland, you were transferred across automatically and did not need to reapply.

The weekly amount is the same as Carer’s Allowance (£86.45 for 2026/27), but the Scottish rules are a little more generous and the service is designed to be easier to deal with.

Who qualifies

You can usually get Carer Support Payment if all of these are true:

  • You live in Scotland and are 16 or over.
  • You spend at least 35 hours a week caring for one person.
  • The person you care for gets a qualifying disability benefit — PIP daily living, Adult or Child Disability Payment, Attendance Allowance, Pension Age Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance (middle/highest care), or Armed Forces Independence Payment.
  • You earn no more than £204 a week after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses (2026/27).
  • You are not in full-time education... unless — and this is the big difference — you can usually get it even as a full-time student, which Carer’s Allowance does not allow.
The £204 earnings cliff edge Going even £1 over £204 a week (after deductions) loses the whole week’s payment — there is no taper. Check what counts: you can take off tax, National Insurance, and half of any pension contributions, plus some care costs. That can bring you back under the limit. See our earnings-limit guide.

How it’s different from Carer’s Allowance

FeatureCarer Support Payment (Scotland)
Weekly rate£86.45 (2026/27) — same as Carer’s Allowance
Full-time studentsUsually can claim — a key difference from Carer’s Allowance
Delivered bySocial Security Scotland (not the DWP)
Extra paymentCarer’s Allowance Supplement — an extra lump sum paid automatically twice a year on top
If you moved from Carer’s AllowanceTransferred automatically — no need to reapply

As with Carer’s Allowance, getting Carer Support Payment can affect the benefits of the person you care for (for example a severe disability premium), and it counts as income for some means-tested benefits — so it’s worth a full benefits check before you claim. It can also give you National Insurance credits that protect your State Pension.

How to apply

You apply through Social Security Scotland — it is free and there are no middlemen:

  1. Apply online at mygov.scot, by phone on 0800 182 2222, or by paper form.
  2. Have ready your National Insurance number, the details of the person you care for (and their disability benefit), and your bank details.
  3. Claims can usually be backdated, so apply as soon as you think you qualify — don’t lose weeks.
Do this now
  1. Check the person you care for gets a qualifying disability benefit — if not, that may be the first thing to sort (it’s the gateway).
  2. Work out your take-home pay after tax, NI and half your pension contributions — make sure it’s under £204/week.
  3. Apply at mygov.scot or call 0800 182 2222. The Carer’s Allowance Supplement then comes automatically.

Free help: Citizens Advice Scotland; Carers UK (0808 808 7777); your local carers centre.

Source verification Primary source: mygov.scot — Carer Support Payment + Social Security Scotland + the Scottish Government 2026/27 social security up-rating. Last verified 18 June 2026. Confidence: High. Key facts: 2026/27 rate £86.45/week (matching Carer’s Allowance); earnings limit £204/week after tax, NI and allowable deductions (up from £196); 35 hours/week of care; the cared-for person must receive a qualifying disability benefit; full-time students can usually claim (unlike Carer’s Allowance); delivered by Social Security Scotland with the Carer’s Allowance Supplement paid on top twice a year. This guide is for Scotland; in England, Wales and Northern Ireland the equivalent is Carer’s Allowance. SortedUK is independent — not a government service, and this is general information, not advice.

Carer Support Payment — common questions

How much is Carer Support Payment?

£86.45 a week for 2026/27 — the same as Carer’s Allowance — paid by Social Security Scotland, usually every 4 weeks. Carers in Scotland also get the Carer’s Allowance Supplement, an extra lump sum twice a year on top.

Can I get it as a full-time student?

Usually yes — this is a key difference from Carer’s Allowance, which generally blocks full-time students. Carer Support Payment can normally be claimed while studying full-time, as long as you meet the other conditions.

What’s the earnings limit?

Your take-home pay must be no more than £204 a week (2026/27) after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses such as half of any pension contributions. Going £1 over loses that week’s payment, so check the deductions carefully.

I was on Carer’s Allowance in Scotland — do I need to reapply?

No. If you were already getting Carer’s Allowance in Scotland you were transferred to Carer Support Payment automatically, with no break in payments and no need to reapply.

The care you give counts. Claim what supports it.

£86.45 a week, plus the Carer’s Allowance Supplement on top — and you can claim even as a student. Apply at mygov.scot or call 0800 182 2222.

Run a benefits check → Check the earnings limit