Ayrshire, North-East carers urged to apply for new £327 per month payment

Glasgow, Scotland – August 19, 2024:

Unpaid carers across Ayrshire and North-East are being urged to apply for a new benefit which is now available to more people.

Advice Direct Scotland is encouraging people to prepare for the switch to the Carer Support Payment, which is gradually replacing Carer’s Allowance as part of a staged nationwide rollout.

From Monday, August 19, residents in North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and Moray can apply for this payment.

Administered by Social Security Scotland, the new benefit is worth £81.90 per week, or £327.60 every four weeks, for those providing 35 hours of care to a family member, friend, or neighbour.

Advice Direct Scotland is also highlighting recent rule changes that broaden eligibility to include more student carers.

Since June, the benefit has been available to carers aged 16 to 19 in full-time ‘advanced’ education, those over 20 in full-time education at any level, and carers in part-time education.

Additionally, some 16 to 19-year-old carers in full-time ‘non-advanced’ education, such as school, are now eligible.

Carers, particularly full-time students, may also be able to receive backdated payments from when the Carer Support Payment was first introduced.

To get these payments, they need to apply within 13 weeks of the benefit becoming available in their area.

If they miss this deadline but have a good reason, they may still be able to receive backdated support.

Advice Direct Scotland is reminding those currently receiving Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that they will not be affected by the rollout.

Current Carer’s Allowance awards will be gradually transferred to Social Security Scotland.

The DWP will continue to issue Carer’s Allowance until the transition is complete, with no interruption in payments. The amount recipients currently receive will remain the same.

Social Security Scotland will notify people in advance about the transfer of their awards. The full transition from the DWP to Social Security Scotland is expected to be completed by spring 2025.

The new Carer Support Payment will also offer the option to receive payments on a weekly basis, rather than every four weeks.

Carers in areas where the Carer Support Payment is not yet available are advised to continue applying for Carer’s Allowance from the DWP to avoid missing out on financial support.

Carers can check their eligibility and apply for this payment at Carer Support Payment.

For those who are worried or unsure about the process, advice.scot’s benefits advisers are available to offer support and ensure that claimants receive all the financial help they are entitled to.

The advice.scot team can be reached at 0808 800 9060, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, or through their website at www.advice.scot.

Additionally, Advice Direct Scotland provides an online benefits calculator to help people assess their entitlement to both devolved and reserved benefits.

Conor Forbes, Policy Director at Advice Direct Scotland, said:

“Unpaid carers make a vital contribution to our communities, and it’s important they don’t miss out on the financial support they’re entitled to.

“Often, people don’t see themselves as carers because they view their role as just helping a family member or friend, not realising that these tasks are part of formal caregiving.

“Others may have gradually taken on a caring role as the person they support’s condition has slowly worsened.

“We urge anyone in Ayrshire and North-East, who might be eligible, to check if they can apply, including full-time students who are not eligible for Carer’s Allowance.

“Help is available for anyone who feels worried or confused. At Advice Direct Scotland, we offer a wide range of free services to everyone in Scotland, regardless of personal circumstances.”

NOTES

You can access free, impartial advice on any topic from advice.scot by contacting 0808 800 9060 or by visiting www.advice.scot. Advice is available to everyone in Scotland, at no cost, regardless of personal circumstance.