People who care for more than one disabled person may also be eligible for an extra annual payment of £520.
08:04, 11 Dec 2025Updated 08:18, 11 Dec 2025
People who care for more than one disabled person may also be eligible for an extra annual payment of £520.(Image: Getty)
People who care for more than one disabled person may be eligible for a new Scotland-only payment launching next year. Carer Additional Person Payment, worth up to £520 a year, will be available from March 2026.
Carers may be eligible for more than one Carer Additional Person Payment if they are caring for more than one additional person. The launch of the new payment is the latest in a series of improvements being made by Social Security Scotland to support carers.
The continuation of Carer Support Payments following the death of the cared-for person will also be extended from 8 to 12 weeks. Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be replaced by Scottish Carer Supplement of £11.29 per week which will be paid alongside Carer Support Payment rather than the current set-up of two annual payments, providing more consistent and regular financial help.
READ MORE: Unpaid carers in Scotland due extra £293 payment before mid-DecemberREAD MORE: Young people providing unpaid care urged to claim £390 one-off payment
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We’re making changes to benefits for carers to recognise the important contribution they make and to help ease some of the pressures that can come with a caring role.
“Scotland’s carers are better off than anywhere else in the UK, and the upcoming improvements will make sure that this remains the case.”
The Cabinet Secretary met with a group of carers from Lanarkshire Carers in Hamilton to mark the December payment of Carer’s Allowance Supplement and upcoming changes to social security support.
More than 95,000 carers across Scotland have received the payment of £293.50, with money continuing to land in bank accounts until December 15.
Changes for carers in Scotland
From March 2026, in addition to Carer Support Payment, eligible carers will be able to receive the following:
Scottish Carer Supplement – £11.29 per week
- This replaces Carer’s Allowance Supplement for carers in receipt of Carer Support Payment and is an extra, more regular payment of £11.29 per week rather than the two annual payments of £293.50.
Carer Additional Person Payment
- This is an extra payment of £520 per year, paid weekly, available to people caring for more than one person. Carers may be eligible for more than one Carer Additional Person Payment if they are caring for more than one additional person.
The switch from Carer’s Allowance Supplement to Scottish Carer Supplement will happen automatically for current claimants.
The Scottish Government said more details on accessing the Carer Additional Person Payment will be provided in the new year.
In November, the Young Carer Grant was extended to include 19-year-olds, potentially benefiting an additional 1,200 carers next year and allowing young carers to get up to four payments from the age of 16.
What is Carer Support Payment?
Carer Support Payment is the devolved equivalent to Carer’s Allowance and is currently worth £83.30 per week to people providing 35 hours of unpaid care to family, friends or neighbours in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit.
The payment is typically issued every four weeks which amounts to £333.20.
The weekly earnings threshold is £196 – equivalent to 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage.
Am I eligible for Carer Support Payment?
Carer Support Payment is money you can get if you provide care for someone and meet certain eligibility criteria.
You must:
- be 16 or over
- usually live in Scotland
- provide care for 35 hours or more a week, this includes if you provide care all day every day
- not earn more than £196 a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses
The person you care for must already get one of these benefits:
- Adult Disability Payment – daily living component
- Child Disability Payment – middle or highest rate care component
- Pension Age Disability Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment – daily living component
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance – middle or highest rate care component
- Disability Living Allowance – middle or highest rate care component
- Constant Attendance Allowance at or above normal maximum rate with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
You can find out more about how it might affect other payments here.
The type of care you provide
To get Carer Support Payment, you must provide care for someone as an unpaid carer for 35 hours or more a week.
It cannot be care you provide:
- as a professional care worker
- through a volunteering scheme or charity
Even if you do not think of yourself as an unpaid carer, you might be eligible for Carer Support Payment. Examples of caring for someone include supporting them:
- with their mental health
- during an illness
- with a disability
- if they have an addiction
Supporting someone with their mental health
If you provide care for someone with a mental health condition, you might:
- comfort them during a panic attack
- stay close by so they do not feel alone
- support them through a crisis
- make sure they’re safe
- keep them company
Supporting someone with an illness or disability
If you provide care for someone with an illness or disability, you might support them with:
- getting around
- getting dressed
- taking medicines
- using the shower or toilet
- cooking meals
- food shopping
- translating
The person you provide care for
You might provide care for:
- someone in your family
- a friend
- a neighbour
You do not have to live with them or be related to them.
You can only apply for Carer Support Payment for one person. If you provide care for more people, you are not entitled to extra payments.
You can check if you are eligible for Carer Support Payment and find full details on the devolved benefit on the mygov.scot website here.
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