A reminder that Carer Support Payment (CSP) now replaces Carer’s Allowance in Scotland.
It was launched in November 2023 in three pilot areas and has now been rolled-out to North Ayrshire, with applications for the previous Carer’s Allowance payment being closed on Monday 19 August.
Carers who are currently in receipt of Carer’s Allowance do not have to do anything, as they will automatically be transferred to CSP over the coming months.
Many of the criteria for CSP are the same as for Carer’s Allowance, however there are some differences – especially for full-time students, who were previously not eligible for Carer’s Allowance.
Students are now eligible for CSP if they are:
- a part-time student
- a full-time student aged 20 or over
- a full-time advanced / higher education student under 20 (ie, on an HNC course or above)
Students aged 16 to 19 on a full-time, non-advanced / further education course or on approved training (ie, ‘No One Left Behind’ provision) are not usually eligible for the Carer Support payment.
However, a new exception allows 16 to 19-year-old carers in full-time further education to get Carer Support if they would be eligible for Universal Credit.
You can find out more about how the Carer Support Payment works, who is eligible, how to apply and much more on the Scottish Government website. There’s also an easy-read factsheet about CSP on the Social Security Scotland website.