Acceptable and unacceptable applications

An individual must submit an application: 

• in the form described by Social Security Scotland
• with the required supporting information (Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, section 38(1))

After submitting an application, an individual may be asked to provide further supporting information.

This is to enable Social Security Scotland to make a determination of entitlement.

The individual must provide this supporting information.

If sufficient information is not provided in the timeframe requested, the client adviser can make a determination that the client does not meet the criteria (Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, section 54(1) and (2)).

Applications using a Carer’s Allowance form 

An individual may complete a Carer’s Allowance application form and this may be sent or provided to Social Security Scotland as an application for Carer Support Payment.  

This can be accepted as an application for Carer Support Payment if it includes enough information to make a determination. If further information is needed the individual should be contacted for further information.  

The individual will need to make a declaration for the application to be determined.

The client advisor will need to contact the individual to ask them to make a declaration.

The declaration may be taken over the phone. 

If it is not possible to contact the individual to make a declaration, the application would need to be rejected.

Applications using another Social Security Scotland benefit form  

If an individual fills in an application for CSP on the form for another Social Security Scotland benefit, it may be treated as though it was an application to CSP where there is enough information to make a determination.  

The client adviser should contact the individual to check which benefit they wanted to apply for and to gather supporting information, or to offer them the chance to make a fresh application.