1. What changes are being made to carer benefits from March 2026?

From 15 March 2026, several improvements are being introduced to carer payments  to better support carers in Scotland:

  • Automatic Scottish Carer Supplement for people receiving Carer Support Payment
  • A new Carer Additional Person Payment (CAPP) for carers who look after more than one person
  • Extended bereavement support when a cared‑for person dies
  • More flexible rules about temporary breaks in care
  • All payments will be combined into one regular payment that appears as “CSP” on bank statements.

2. What is Carer Support Payment (CSP)?

Carer Support Payment is Scotland’s replacement for Carer’s Allowance. It provides financial support for people who give substantial care.

Carer Support Payment is paid at £83.30 per week in 2025/26, This will increase to £86.45 in April 2026

You may qualify if you:

  • are 16 or over
  • live in Scotland
  • provide 35 hours or more of care a week
  • care for someone getting a qualifying disability benefit
  • earn less than £196 per week after deductions (2025/26). This will increase to £204 per week from April 2026

If you get CSP, you may also get:

  • Scottish Carer Supplement (automatically)
  • Carer Additional Person Payment if you support more than one person

 

For further information and to check if you would eligible for the Carer Support Payment: https://www.mygov.scot/carer-support-payment/who-can-apply

 

3. What is Scottish Carer Supplement?

Scottish Carer Supplement is an extra weekly amount added automatically to your Carer Support Payment. Previously this was paid as two lump payments in June and December. 

From 16th March 2026 you will receive £11.29 per week 

From April 2026 you will receive £11.70 per week.

You don’t need to apply for this. You will receive it automatically if you are already being paid Carer Support Payment.

Carers with only an underlying entitlement to Carer Support Payment (for example, those receiving the State Pension) will not receive the Scottish Carer Supplement.

Universal Credit impact:
The Supplement is not counted as income, so it does not reduce UC.

One‑off payment note:
Carers who qualified for October 2025 Carer’s Allowance Supplement but didn’t receive the December lump payment will get it in June 2026.

4. What is Carer Additional Person Payment (CAPP)?

CAPP is a new payment for carers who look after more than one person with significant care needs.

  • £10 per week per extra cared‑for person (2025/26)
  • £10.40 per week from April 2026.

To receive CAPP, you must:

  • be receiving Carer Support Payment,
  • provide 20 hours or more of care each week to the additional person,
  • ensure they receive a qualifying disability benefit.

There is no limit to how many people you can get CAPP for.

You can add up to three people online, and contact Social Security Scotland if you need to add more.

Cared‑for people will be informed when an application is made for them.

Caring hours can overlap, for example, supporting two people at the same time still counts.

You can get CAPP even if another carer receives CSP, Carer’s Allowance, Young Carer Grant, or the Carer Element of UC for the same person.

Applications open:
You can apply from 16 March 2026 (with awards starting from 15 March 2026). Carers who already get paid Carer Support Payment can add additional cared for people to their award using Social Security Scotland’s change of circumstances form online at https://www.mygov.scot If you are applying for carer benefits for the first time, you can include any additional people you care for on your Carer Support Payment application. 

5. Extended bereavement support

From 15 March 2026, bereavement support for those who get Carer Support Payment will increase from 8 weeks to 12 weeks when a cared‑for person dies.

This applies to:

  • Carer Support Payment
  • Scottish Carer Supplement
  • Carer Additional Person Payment

 

6. Temporary breaks in care

From 15 March 2026, the rule requiring carers to have cared for 14 or 22 weeks out of the last 26 before being paid during a break is being removed.

This means:

  • You can still be paid during short breaks (for example, the person you care for is in hospital)
  • You don’t need a long care history before qualifying
  • The same rule applies to CAPP for additional cared‑for people

7. How will all of these changes affect Universal Credit (UC)?

Here’s how each payment interacts with Universal Credit:

Carer Support Payment

  • Counted as income for UC
  • Your UC will reduce by the same amount
  • However, you should receive the Carer Element, meaning most carers remain better off

Scottish Carer Supplement

  • Not counted as income
  • Does not reduce UC

Carer Additional Person Payment

  • Not counted as income
  • Does not reduce UC

Even though they appear together on your bank statement as “CSP”, UC treats each part separately:

  • Only the Carer Support Payment portion counts as income
  • Supplement and CAPP continue to be ignored

Carers with underlying entitlement to CSP cannot receive CAPP.

7. Why will everything appear as one “CSP” payment?

From March 2026, Carer Support Payment, Scottish Carer Supplement and Carer Additional Person Payment will be paid together for simplicity.

Your bank statement will show:

NINO + SSS + CSP
Example: KA123456C SSS CSP

Combining payments:

  • reduces delays
  • makes payments predictable
  • ensures the Supplement and CAPP stay ignored for UC