Quick Summary
- Carer Support Payment replaces Carer's Allowance in Scotland — existing recipients are transferred automatically; new claimants in Scotland apply directly
- Same weekly rate: £81.90 — but Scotland's earnings disregard is higher (£196/week net vs £151/week in England)
- Carer's Allowance Supplement adds £576.30/year — paid automatically to Scottish recipients twice yearly, with no equivalent in England
- Use our Scottish Benefits Checker to confirm your eligibility and model interactions with Universal Credit
Caring for a disabled or seriously ill person is one of the most common unpaid roles in Scotland — and Carer Support Payment is the main financial recognition for it. If you're already receiving Carer's Allowance in Scotland, your payment will transfer automatically. If you're a new claimant, you apply directly to Social Security Scotland.
Quick Answer: Carer Support Payment pays £81.90/week (2026/27) to carers who provide at least 35 hours/week unpaid care for someone on a qualifying disability benefit. Scotland's version is better than England's Carer's Allowance in two ways: the earnings disregard is £196/week net (vs £151 in England), letting carers earn more without losing the payment, and all Scottish recipients automatically receive the Carer's Allowance Supplement (£288.15 twice yearly, totalling £576.30/year). Total annual value in Scotland: £4,835.10. Use our Scottish Benefits Checker to check eligibility.
What is Carer Support Payment?
Carer Support Payment (CSP) is Scotland's version of Carer's Allowance, now administered by Social Security Scotland rather than the UK's DWP. The transfer began in 2024 and is rolling out region by region across Scotland.
For most purposes, CSP and Carer's Allowance are identical. The eligibility rules, weekly rate, and interactions with other benefits are the same. The meaningful differences are the higher earnings disregard and the automatic supplemental payment.
Key details
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | £81.90 |
| Annual rate | £4,258.80 |
| Minimum care hours | 35 hours per week |
| Care recipient qualification | Must receive qualifying disability benefit |
| Earnings disregard (Scotland) | £196/week net |
| Earnings disregard (England) | £151/week net |
| Carer's Allowance Supplement | £288.15 × 2/year (Scotland only) |
| Total annual value (Scotland) | £4,835.10 |
Who qualifies?
You can receive Carer Support Payment if all of these apply:
- You're 16 or over
- You provide at least 35 hours of unpaid care per week to one person
- The person you care for receives a qualifying disability benefit:
| Qualifying benefit for the person you care for |
|---|
| Adult Disability Payment (daily living, standard or enhanced) |
| Personal Independence Payment (daily living, standard or enhanced) |
| Disability Living Allowance (care component, middle or highest rate) |
| Attendance Allowance (either rate) |
| Constant Attendance Allowance (at or above normal maximum rate) |
| Armed Forces Independence Payment |
- You're not in full-time education (defined as 21 or more hours per week)
- You're habitually resident in Scotland (for the Scottish version)
- Your net earnings don't exceed £196/week
There is no means test on savings or investment income. Only your earned income (from employment or self-employment) counts toward the disregard. Pension income, rental income, and investment income don't affect your eligibility.
The earnings disregard in detail
This is where Scotland pulls ahead of England.
England (Carer's Allowance): You can earn up to £151/week net from employment. Above this, you lose the entire allowance — there's no tapering.
Scotland (Carer Support Payment): The disregard is £196/week net — £45/week more, worth £2,340/year in extra earning capacity.
"Net" means after deducting:
- Income tax
- National Insurance contributions
- 50% of pension contributions (both employee and employer shares)
- Certain work-related expenses (tools, uniforms, professional fees)
Example: A part-time carer earns £240/week gross. After income tax (£13), NI (£8), and a £30 pension contribution (50% = £15 deducted), net earnings are approximately £204/week. That's above the £196 disregard — they'd lose the entire CSP.
But if they increased their pension contribution by £20/week (to £50/week), the 50% deduction becomes £25, reducing net earnings to £194/week — below the threshold, restoring the full £81.90/week CSP. The £20 extra pension contribution saves the entire £81.90/week benefit.
The cliff edge remains: Go £1 over the disregard and you lose the entire payment. There's no tapering. Careful management of pension contributions and work expenses is important if you're near the limit.
Try it yourself
Check eligibility for Carer Support Payment and model the earnings disregard impact.
Open Scottish Benefits CheckerNo sign-up required.
The Carer's Allowance Supplement: Scotland only
Every Scottish recipient of CSP (or Carer's Allowance while the transfer is ongoing) automatically receives the Carer's Allowance Supplement — paid twice yearly with no separate application needed.
| Payment | Amount | Typical payment month |
|---|---|---|
| First Supplement | £288.15 | June |
| Second Supplement | £288.15 | December |
| Annual total | £576.30 |
This makes the total annual value of caring in Scotland: £4,258.80 CSP + £576.30 Supplement = £4,835.10/year.
An equivalent carer in England receives only Carer's Allowance (£4,258.80) — £576.30 less per year. The supplement is the single biggest financial difference between being a carer in Scotland versus England.
The overlapping benefits interaction
The most important and least understood aspect of Carer Support Payment: receiving it can affect means-tested benefits, and vice versa.
Universal Credit
Universal Credit includes a carer element of £198.31/month (2026/27) for UC claimants who are also carers. If you receive CSP alongside UC, the system "overlaps" — UC will typically be reduced by the amount of CSP you receive, so your total income doesn't increase by the full CSP amount.
However, the Carer's Allowance Supplement is NOT deducted from UC. This means the £576.30 annual supplement is genuine extra money even if the CSP itself is effectively taken back by UC.
Underlying entitlement: Even when CSP is "taken back" by UC, maintaining your CSP award keeps your "underlying entitlement" — which can matter for:
- The Severe Disability Premium/Addition (see below)
- Future benefit calculations if your circumstances change
- The Carer's Allowance Supplement, which flows from the CSP award
The Severe Disability Premium trap
This is critical if the person you care for is on legacy benefits (not UC). If they receive a Severe Disability Premium (SDP) — worth up to £76.40/week — your CSP award can remove this payment from their benefits.
Why? The SDP is only payable when there's no carer receiving Carer's Allowance/CSP for that person. The moment you receive CSP, the SDP is removed from their award.
The maths: if the SDP removal costs the disabled person £76.40/week (£3,972/year) but you only receive £81.90/week CSP (£4,258.80/year), the net gain across both of you is only £286.80/year — and the disabled person has lost significantly. Always check whether SDP applies before claiming.
Try it yourself
Model your full benefits position including carer payments and the SDP interaction.
Open Scottish Benefits CheckerNo sign-up required.
Transferring from Carer's Allowance to CSP
If you currently receive Carer's Allowance in Scotland, you don't need to do anything. Social Security Scotland will contact you when your area is included in the transfer programme. The transfer is:
- Automatic — no new application required
- Continuous — no gap in payments during the transfer
- Without reassessment — your existing eligibility carries over
- Retrospective from transfer date — any Scottish improvements (earnings disregard) apply from the transfer date, not retrospectively
New claimants: If you're in Scotland and haven't claimed Carer's Allowance before, apply directly for Carer Support Payment at mygov.scot — do not apply to the DWP for Carer's Allowance.
Scotland vs England: the full comparison
| Feature | Scotland (CSP) | England (Carer's Allowance) |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly rate | £81.90 | £81.90 |
| Earnings disregard (net) | £196/week | £151/week |
| Extra earnings capacity | £45/week more | Baseline |
| Annual supplement | £576.30 | None |
| Total annual value | £4,835.10 | £4,258.80 |
| Administered by | Social Security Scotland | DWP |
How to apply
Existing Carer's Allowance recipients: Wait for Social Security Scotland to contact you about your transfer.
New claimants:
- Apply online at mygov.scot/carer-support-payment
- Call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222
You'll need: NI number, details of the disability benefit the person you care for receives, details of your earnings, and your bank account details.
Processing time: typically 4–6 weeks. CSP is paid every 4 weeks (fortnightly in some cases).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I receive CSP if I care for more than one person?
You can only receive CSP once, regardless of how many people you care for. However, if two separate people in a household each care for different individuals, each can receive their own CSP.
Does caring for a child qualify?
Only if the child is receiving a qualifying disability benefit — Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest care rate. Caring for a non-disabled child, however demanding, doesn't qualify for CSP.
What if the person I care for's benefit is temporarily suspended?
Your CSP may also be suspended during this period. If their qualifying benefit is removed entirely, your CSP entitlement ends — contact Social Security Scotland immediately if this happens, as different rules may apply depending on why the benefit was removed.
I'm self-employed — how do I calculate net earnings?
For self-employed people, net earnings are profit (income minus allowable business expenses) minus income tax, NI, and 50% of pension contributions. Self-employed carers can often structure earnings to stay below the disregard more easily than employees.
Can I receive CSP and ADP (disability benefits) myself?
Yes. There's no restriction on receiving Carer Support Payment alongside Adult Disability Payment or PIP if you're the carer for someone else. However, if you and the person you care for are effectively caring for each other, only one of you can receive CSP.
Related Articles
- Adult Disability Payment Scotland — for the person you care for
- Scottish Benefits Guide — all Scotland-only benefits in one place
- Universal Credit Scotland — Scottish Choices and how UC interacts with carer benefits
- Free Personal Care Scotland — council care for over-65s
- Best Start Grant Scotland — if you also have young children
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute benefits advice. Benefit rules can change — always verify current eligibility and rates with Social Security Scotland at mygov.scot or by calling 0800 182 2222. For complex situations, contact Citizens Advice Scotland.
Sources: Social Security Scotland — Carer Support Payment, mygov.scot — Carer Support Payment, Social Security Scotland — Carer's Allowance Supplement