The Scottish Government have made clear that when they introduce a new carer support payment to replace Carer’s Allowance, they will initially keep the main qualifying rules broadly similar.
This will make the process of transferring existing Carer’s Allowance claimants onto the new Scottish benefit more straightforward.
The new benefit will be initially introduced as a pilot scheme at the end of 2023, before being launched across Scotland in spring 2024.
While most of the qualifying rules for the new benefit will mirror Carer’s Allowance rules, there will be two main changes introduced from the start of the pilot scheme.
These are:
- Changing the education rules so that carers in full-time education can receive the carer support payment;
- Amending the ‘past presence test’ so that carers will normally only need to have been present in the UK for 26 weeks out of the previous year in order to claim.
Once the Scottish Government has completed the transfer of all Carer’s Allowance claimants in Scotland onto the new carer support payment, it intends to make a number of other changes to the rules. These will include:
- Increasing the ‘run on’ of benefit after a cared-for person dies from eight to 12 weeks;
- Introducing an extra amount to be paid where a carer looks after more than one severely disabled person. Known as the carer’s additional person payment, this will be £10 per week for each additional person a carer is providing at least 20 hours of care to;
- Providing temporary financial assistance known as ‘short-term assistance’ in some situations where a carer support payment decision is being challenged, or where the cared-for person is challenging a decision to stop or reduce their disability benefit.
At this point in time the Scottish Government has not committed itself to increasing the earnings limit.
For more details see the Scottish Government’s response to the Scottish Carers Assistance consultation.
Our By Your Side parent adviser, Lynn Shields, will be at the Sense Touchbase Centre in Glasgow along with 15 other organisations and charities on Saturday 25 March, to provide support to families with disabled children and young people.
No appointment necessary – just drop by when you can!
Come and have a chat with Lynn at the Sense Touchbase centre on Saturday 25th March from 10am – 3.30pm to make sure you have the information you need for your family. No appointment is necessary and it doesn’t matter if your child (aged 0-25) has a diagnosis or not.
The chance to find out what support is available for your family from Contact and over 15 other organisations – all in one place
Over 15 organisations and charities will be joining Contact at the Sense Touchbase centre on Saturday, including our key partners Family Fund, Office for Rare Conditions Glasgow and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Support Scotland. This is your chance to drop in and see us to find out about the wide range of support, information, services and grants available to you and your family – all in one place.
Other organisations there on the day include the Independent Living Fund, PAMIS, Social Security Scotland, Carers Scotland, Genetic Alliance UK, Children Health Scotland, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Lead Scotland, Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments, South East Carers Centre, Differabled and more.
It’s a great opportunity to pick up information and find out how organisations can provide support and connect with other parents and carers at the same time.
“Families have told us that they would like to access helpful and timely information much more easily and to be able to do that in one place. Parents also said that they wanted charities and organisations to work together to provide a connected and wider network of support.
By hosting this drop-in day at the wonderful Sense Touchbase venue in Glasgow we and our partners hope to provide a welcoming space for families to meet a wide range of charities over a cuppa and hopefully get the resources and information they need.”
Donna Tomlin, Manager of the By Your Side Project in Scotland
How to get there on Saturday
You can find us on Saturday at Sense Touchbase, 47 Middlesex Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow G41 1EE.
Nearest subway stations are Kinning Park and Shields Road or for buses Firstbus 9/9a, 10 or 121 or Arriva 25, 36, 38 or 39 or there is free parking if you are driving.
The Sense Touchbase venue also has a chill out space, a personal care room and free on street parking. If you would like a copy of our flyer about the event just email [email protected] or if you have any questions please call 07458046071.
We look forward to seeing you there!