More than 136,000 unpaid carers across Scotland are now receiving Carer Support Payment, and thousands more could be missing out on close to £100 a week they are legally entitled to claim.
The latest figures confirm the caseload for the Scottish Government’s Carer Support Payment has hit 136,000 people, a benefit designed specifically to recognise the enormous contribution unpaid carers make every single day looking after loved ones with disabilities, long-term illnesses or conditions that require round-the-clock support.
The payment currently stands at £81.90 per week, but with the upcoming uprating it is set to reach close to £100. For many carers already stretched thin financially, that money can make a real difference to everyday life.
Carer Support Payment replaced the old UK-wide Carer’s Allowance in Scotland and is administered by Social Security Scotland. The Scottish Government made the switch as part of its broader push to build a more accessible and dignified social security system north of the border. Unlike its predecessor, the Scottish version comes with improved support and a more straightforward application process.
To qualify, carers generally need to be providing at least 35 hours of unpaid care per week to someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit. That is a significant commitment, often the equivalent of a full-time job, yet many people doing exactly that have never claimed a penny.
Charities working with unpaid carers have long warned that uptake remains far lower than it should be. Many carers simply do not think of themselves as carers at all. They see what they do as looking after a parent, a partner, a child or a friend, and the idea that there is financial support available for doing that does not always cross their minds.
There is also a practical barrier. Carers are often exhausted. Navigating benefit applications while juggling the demands of caring for someone can feel overwhelming, and some people have been put off in the past by complicated forms or fear of getting something wrong.
Social Security Scotland has been working to make the process easier, with online applications available and support on hand for those who need help filling things in. Carers can also get assistance through local carer centres and organisations like Carers Scotland, who can walk people through eligibility and the application process.
Carers Scotland has repeatedly highlighted that unpaid carers save the Scottish economy billions of pounds every year. Without the army of people quietly getting on with caring responsibilities at home, the pressure on the NHS and social care services would be unmanageable. The least the system can do, campaigners argue, is make sure every single eligible carer is actually getting the financial support they are due.
For anyone unsure whether they qualify, the advice is simple: check. Even if you are not sure you meet the criteria, it is worth taking a few minutes to look into it. Social Security Scotland has an online eligibility checker, and local carer support organisations can offer free, confidential advice.
With the cost of living still biting hard across Scotland, nearly £100 a week is not small change. For carers who are often unable to work full-time because of their caring role, that weekly payment can be the difference between managing and really struggling.
The Scottish Government has said it remains committed to improving support for unpaid carers and sees Carer Support Payment as a key part of that. The record caseload of 136,000 shows the benefit is reaching more people than ever before, but with an estimated 700,000 unpaid carers believed to be living in Scotland, there is clearly still a long way to go.
Bout time too. Carers do an absolutely thankless job and save the NHS billions every year. Hope people actually manage to claim what they’re entitled to instead of it getting buried in bureaucracy like everything else.