New Carers Allowance Supplement

Who is eligible?
Carers who live in Scotland and are receiving Carer’s Allowance on qualifying dates selected by the Scottish Government.

Eligibility for the new benefit is worked out by looking at two qualifying dates each year. These qualifying dates are required by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide the details of those in receipt of Carer’s Allowance so that Social Security Scotland can make the payment.
For the first payments, the qualifying date is Monday 16 April. The next eligibility date for the second round of payments is Monday 15 October.

When will I receive it?
As this is the first payments, Social Security Scotland want to make sure these payments are paid safely and securely to people. For that reason we will issue payments in phases. The majority of payments will be made by the end of September, with more complex cases completed into early October. For the second eligibility date, payments will be made from December. Eligibility dates and payments will fall every six months for the lifetime of the supplement. The supplement is a temporary measure until Social Security Scotland delivers all of Carer’s Allowance. At that point, the increase will be added to your usual payment.

How much is it?
Carers living in Scotland who were in receipt of Carer’s Allowance from the DWP on the qualifying date of Monday 16 April will get this supplementary payment of £221. This is equivalent of an extra £8.50 per week – an increase of 13% on Carer’s Allowance from the DWP.

How do I claim Carer’s Allowance Supplement?
Carers don’t need to do anything. Those eligible will receive payment automatically. Carers should let HM Revenue and Customs know about their Carer’s Allowance Supplement as this may increase the amount of tax they need to pay. Carers will still pay no tax if their taxable income is below £11,850 per year.