Carer Support Payment (Scotland)

Carer Support Payment is the Scottish benefit that has replaced Carer's Allowance for new claims in Scotland. It is administered by Social Security Scotland rather than the DWP, but the eligibility rules and the weekly rate carry over from Carer's Allowance — you need to provide at least 35 hours of care a week for someone getting a qualifying disability benefit, and earn £204 a week or less after deductions. Existing Carer's Allowance claims in Scotland are being moved across to Carer Support Payment automatically, without carers needing to reapply.

Carer Support Payment pays £86.45 a week in 2026/27 — the same rate as Carer's Allowance in the rest of the UK. That is £345.80 every 4 weeks, around £374.62 a month, or £4,495.40 a year. It is normally paid every 4 weeks, directly into your bank account.

The Scottish Carer Supplement is an extra payment on top of Carer Support Payment (or Carer's Allowance, if you have not yet moved across), paid automatically to eligible carers in Scotland. It replaced the old Carer's Allowance Supplement for most carers from March 2026, and is worth £11.70 a week, paid as £46.80 every 4 weeks alongside your main payment. You do not need to apply separately.

Carer's Allowance Supplement — two lump-sum payments a year rather than a weekly top-up — is now paid only to a small residual group who still receive Carer's Allowance rather than Carer Support Payment or Scottish Carer Supplement (for example, some carers who were 65 or over in 2002). For 2026, the payments are £304.65 around the 13 April 2026 qualifying date and £304.65 around the 12 October 2026 qualifying date — £609.30 across the year for those still eligible.

Carer Additional Person Payment is an extra payment for carers in Scotland who look after more than one disabled person. It pays £41.60 every 4 weeks for each additional person you care for at least 20 hours a week, on top of your main Carer Support Payment. It is not payable for a period where your Carer Support Payment award itself has been reduced to nil — for example because of the earnings limit or the overlapping-benefits rule.

Yes. Carer Support Payment is taxable income, in exactly the same way as Carer's Allowance is in the rest of the UK — no tax is deducted at source, but it counts towards your total income for the year. Scottish taxpayers pay Income Tax at the Scottish rates and bands set by the Scottish Parliament, which differ from the rest of the UK, so the actual tax cost of receiving Carer Support Payment alongside other income can differ north and south of the border.