New carer payment among benefit changes in Scotland
7 mins read
Thursday 12 March 2026
A new payment for carers in Scotland looking after more than one disabled person comes into force this Sunday.
This is one of a number of changes the Scottish government is introducing to carers benefits from 15 March. Alongside two new payments also comes improvements to the Carer Support Payment – the main benefit for carers in Scotland.
Below we explain what you need to know about all the changes to look out for this week.
New Carer Additional Person Payment
The Scottish government is introducing a new payment known as the Carer Additional Person Payment. This is for those who get Carer Support Payment and who provide care to more than one disabled person on a qualifying disability benefit. You need to be getting the Carer Support Payment to be able to apply for the new payment.
The amount you get will depend on how many additional disabled people you provide at least 20 hours’ care to each week. You will receive £10 per week (£10.40 from April) for each extra disabled person you care for in addition to your main caring role. There is no set limit on the number of additional disabled people you can claim a payment for.
You won’t get a Carer Additional Person Payment for a disabled person if someone else already does. You can, however, receive a payment for a disabled person despite someone already getting Carer Support Payment as their main carer.
Any payment you receive is ignored as income for Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits such as Council Tax reduction.
Example of Carer Additional Person Payments
Roddy and Fatima have two severely disabled children, both on Child Disability Payment at the highest rate for personal care. Roddy gets Carer Support Payment because he provides more than 35 hours care to their disabled son Adam. Fatima gets Carer Support Payment as their daughter Anita’s main carer.
As well as looking after Anita, Fatima provides more than 20 hours a week’s care to Adam. She also provides more than 20 hours’ care to her mother, who gets the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment. In addition to being Adam’s main carer, Roddy spends more than 20 hours a week helping to look after Anita.
Fatima is entitled to a Carer Additional Person Payment of £20 for two disabled people (Adam and her mum). Roddy gets a payment of £10 as he cares for one additional disabled person (Anita).
How to apply for a Carer Additional Person Payment
If you already get Carer Support Payment, initially you can complete a “CAPP only” claim form (paper or digital). To access this, call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 or go online at mygov.scot.
This form is available to existing claimants for six months only. After that, you will need to report a change of circumstances to Social Security Scotland if you want to claim for the first time, or add or remove an additional disabled person.
New Scottish Carer Supplement
The Scottish government is also creating a new payment called the Scottish Carers Supplement. This is replacing the Carer’s Allowance Supplement – a lump sum payment made every six months.
Rather than getting a lump sum, anyone on Carer Support Payment will now receive an additional weekly payment of £11.29 (£11.70 from April) instead. This works out the same amount as the previously-paid lump sums, only it’s now spread out as a weekly amount.
You need to be in receipt of the Carer Support Payment to get the Scottish Carer Supplement. If you only receive the Universal Credit carer element but haven’t claimed Carer Support Payment, you will not qualify.
As long as you are living in Scotland and receiving Carer Support Payment on 15 March 2026, you will receive the supplement automatically without needing to make any application.
Scottish Carer Supplement is ignored as income for Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits such as Council Tax reduction.
Improvements to the Carer Support Payment
Alongside these two new payments, the Scottish government is making some changes to the Carer Support Payment rules.
Extending bereavement run-on
When a cared-for person dies, their carer currently continues to receive Carer Support Payment for eight weeks after their death.
This is being extended to the first 12 weeks where the cared-for person dies on or after 15 March 2026.
Temporary breaks in care
Under existing rules, someone on a temporary break in caring will continue to get Carer Support Payment only if they have been caring for a minimum number of weeks. (This is 14 or 22, depending on their circumstances.)
From 15 March this requirement will be scrapped. Anyone on Carer Support Payment will retain payments throughout a short break in caring, regardless of when they started caring. These new “temporary breaks in care” rules will also apply to Scottish Carer Supplement and any Carer Additional Person Payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Universal Credit income deductions
I get Universal Credit with a carer element. I also get Carer Support Payment, but that is deducted from my Universal Credit. My Carer Support Payment may increase because I start to get an extra Scottish Carer Supplement and a Carer Additional Person Payment. But won’t that extra money simply be deducted from my Universal Credit leaving me no better off?
It’s true that the Carer Support Payment you receive is treated as income and deducted from your Universal Credit. That is not changing. However, the good news is that any Scottish Carer Supplement or Carer Additional Person Payment you get is treated differently. These new additional amounts are ignored as income and won’t affect your Universal Credit payments.
Does an underlying Carer Support Payment entitlement count?
I am the full-time carer for my severely-disabled grandchild. I recently qualified for my state pension, and this has replaced my Carer Support Payment. However I still have an “underlying entitlement” to that benefit. Will I get the Scottish Carer Supplement?
Unfortunately not. Both Scottish Carer Supplement and Carer Additional Person Payment are only paid to those who actually receive Carer Support Payment. You can’t get them if you only have an underlying entitlement.
Overlapping caring hours
I am a lone parent with two disabled children, both on Child Disability Payment. My frail elderly father, who gets Pension Age Disability Payment, also lives with me. I care for him for more than 20 hours a week. However sometimes the care I give to my dad overlaps with the care I am providing to my children. Does it have to be separate hours to qualify for the carer additional person payment?
You should be able to get Carer Support Payment for one of your children and the Carer Additional Person Payment for two people: your other child and your dad. It’s OK that you are looking after more than one person at the same time – these hours still count. You don’t have to show that you are caring for them at different times.
The Universal Credit carer element
I get both Carer Support Payment and Universal Credit with a carer element. If I qualify for a Carer Additional Person Payment because I look after a second person, will I get a second carer element in my Universal Credit too?
No, getting a Carer Additional Person Payment does not lead to a second carer element in your Universal Credit.