One-off carers’ boost

Social Security Scotland has confirmed that some Lanarkshire residents claiming Carer’s Allowance will receive one-off payments for £288.60 in June and December.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an automatic payment made twice each year by the Scottish Government to recognise the important contribution made by unpaid carers.

To qualify for the automatic payment in June, people need to be in receipt of either Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or the newly launched Carer Support Payment from Social Security Scotland.

This also means that people in Lanarkshire who made a new claim before April 8, which later turns out to be successful, will also qualify for the £288.60 June payment.

The payment is administered by Social Security Scotland and delivered separately from Carer’s Allowance, which is delivered by the DWP.

The second Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment will be made in December to those in claim on October 7.

The payment dates and amount will be confirmed later this year.

New figures from the Scottish Government show that some £280 million in Carer’s Allowance Supplement payments have been made to 150,000 carers since it was introduced in September 2018.

The data also indicates that over one million payments in total have been delivered to unpaid carers.

Last November Carer Support Payment was introduced in three local authority areas to replace Carer’s Allowance in Scotland. It will be rolled out across the country by this autumn.

The DWP confirmed last month that the transfer process – for more than 80,000 people in Scotland claiming Carer’s Allowance – to the new payment started on February 26. This is being done in stages between now and Spring next year.

Nobody needs to make a new claim; the migration process will be automatic and anyone moving will receive a letter in advance advising them of the move and what to expect.

It’s important to be aware the DWP will continue to pay Carer’s Allowance until the move to Social Security Scotland and Carer Support Payment is completed.

There will be no gap in payments and the amount someone receives will stay the same.

The weekly earnings threshold will also be the same as the DWP. This has now increased from £139 per week to £151.

If you move from Carer’s Allowance to Carer Support Payment, you can also choose to be paid weekly instead of every four weeks.

Full details about applying for Carer Support Payment if you are over 16 and in full-time further education at college or university can be found by visiting https://www.mygov.scot/carersupport-payment/who-can-apply