Additional funds, worth £520 a year, for those who care for more than one disabled person, will be available from March 2026
Some welcome good news! The Scottish government has announced new financial support for those people who care for more than one disabled person at once.
Photo by Elevate / Unsplash
Under the new scheme, they may be eligible for Carer Additional Person Payment, worth up to £520 each year, per extra person being cared for. So, for example, someone who cares for three disabled people, could be eligible for two Carer Additional Person Payments.
The move is just one of a number of changes being made by Social Security Scotland next year to better support carers. All the changes are due to be effective from March 2026. Other measures include extending the period in which Carer Support Payment – worth £11.29 per week – is paid after the death of a cared-for person from eight to 12 weeks. Carer’s Allowance Supplement will also be replaced by Scottish Carer Supplement, to be paid weekly with the Carer Support Payment rather than in two annual payments as now.
The switch will happen automatically for current recipients of payments. Information on how to apply for Carer Additional Person Payment will be shared in in the new year.
The changes follow other recent efforts to support carers in Scotland. For example, last month the Young Carer Grant was extended to include 19 year-olds, which it is thought could benefit an additional 1,200 carers in the next year alone. Young carers will be able to get up to four payments from the age of 16.
This month, more than 95,000 carers also received Carer’s Allowance Supplement with a payment of £293.50.
Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Social Justice Secretary, says: ‘We’re making changes to benefits for carers to recognise the important contribution they make and to help ease some of the pressures that can come with a caring role. Scotland’s carers are better off than anywhere else in the UK, and the upcoming improvements will make sure that this remains the case.’
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