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Make sure you're not missing out on money that you're entitled to
You're probably a carer if:
Carer Support Payment is the replacement for Carer's Allowance in Scotland. It is being rolled out in phases across Scotland and as from Monday 19th August it will be available to Fife residents. The roll out across the whole of Scotland will be complete by November 2024.
This is for new claims only, if you are already in receipt of Carers Allowance, please see the information at the bottom of this page.
If you look after someone who is disabled or has a long-term health condition, you may be an unpaid carer.
To qualify you must:
Carers Support Payment is paid at the same rate as Carers Allowance. This is currently £81.90 per week or £327.60 every 4 weeks.
Carers Supplement is an extra payment for people in Scotland who get Carers Support Payment or Carers Allowance on a particular date. It is paid twice a year.
If you are in receipt of Carers Support Payment (or still receiving Carers Allowance) on the 9th October 2024, you will also be eligible to receive the next Carers Supplement of £288.60, usually paid in December.
You can get Carer Support Payment at the same time as other benefits. If you get ‘means tested’ benefits (such as Universal Credit) the Carer Support Payment could affect the amount you get. You’ll usually be better off overall because you can get extra amounts in these benefits for being a carer.
If you get ‘income replacement’ benefits such as State Pension or ‘new-style’ Employment and Support Allowance, this may affect the amount of Carer Support Payment you can get. If your benefit is worth the same as, or more than, Carer Support Payment you may have ‘underlying entitlement’. This means you won’t get any money from the Carer Support Payment, but might be able to get additional benefits or top ups to existing benefits, including Pension Credit.
There are differences between Carers Allowance and Carers Support payment which is why a benefit check is so important, you could be entitled to more than you think. We are particularly keen to reach the following types of people:
The new regulations include special backdating rules. This means that if you are not currently getting Carer’s Allowance, but are eligible for Carer Support Payment, you can have your payments backdated to the date Carer Support Payment first became available in Scotland. To get your fully backdated payments, you must apply within 13 weeks of the benefit becoming available in your area. For Fife residents this means you need to apply for backdated payments before the 17th November.
If you already receive Carer’s Allowance you will automatically be transferred on to Carer Support Payment. The amount you receive will not change. Social Security Scotland will write to people in advance to let them know that their award will be moving.
Transfers began in February this year, with all awards expected to be moved by spring 2025.
Any carer’s premiums included in Universal Credit claims will also be retained when migrated over to the new benefit.
If you have “underlying entitlement” to Carers Allowance, this is predominantly but not exclusively those who are claiming State Retirement Pension, this will also transfer over to underlying entitlement to Carers Support Payment. You will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland to let you know when it will happen.
Please use the Fife Benefits Checker to find out if you are missing out on any entitlements.
If the checker shows you are entitled to a benefit, the links and telephone numbers you need to make an application are contained within your results page.
By telephone: Contact the Community Support Line between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0800 952 0330 800. Fife Council staff can complete a benefit check for you and assist with making any applications. This can be done over the telephone or by arranging a face to face appointment in a local office. Just let us know on the call if you are housebound or have mobility issues so we can make alternative arrangements to assist you.
Housing Officer: If you are living in a Fife Council property, you can speak to your housing officer who can arrange an appointment for you.
In your community: You can request a Cost of Living appointment by:
