Backdating - where a carer chooses a start date in the past
Applications for Carer Support are treated as made when they are received
Carers applying for Carer Support can choose a start date in the past if they were eligible for the benefit for a period before applying. This is known as ‘backdating’ an application.
The person the carer is caring for needs to already be receiving a qualifying disability benefit before the carer makes the application.
Applications for Carer Support which involve backdating to a date before 15 March 2026, or applications for Carer Support Payment received before 15 March 2026 which are being determined after 15 March 2026 will need to be considered differently.
Backdating a Carer Support award for up to 13 weeks before application date
In general, carers will be able to ‘backdate’ a Carer Support award for up to 13 weeks on application without having to give a reason. They can do this by choosing a start date up to 13 weeks in the past for their Carer Support Payment award, on their Carer Support Payment application.
If they meet all of the eligibility criteria on this date (and it is not before 15 March 2026) their Carer Support award can start on the first day of the award week that their chosen start date falls in. Award weeks for Carer Support run from Sunday to Saturday, so if their chosen start date is a Monday, their award will start on the Sunday before.
If the carer did not meet all of the eligibility criteria on their chosen start date, their award can start on the first day of the award week in which they first met all of the eligibility criteria, provided this is no more than 13 weeks after the date on which their application is treated as made (received by Social Security Scotland). (Carer Support Regulations, regulation 18(3))
If the carer met all of the eligibility criteria on their chosen start date but there were periods between this start date and the date they submitted their application where they were not eligible, they may not receive payments for all of the weeks in this period. For example, if there are periods where the cared for person didn’t receive the qualifying disability benefit or where the carer had earnings over the earnings limit. In this situation we can make a determination that the carer is entitled from the chosen start date, then further determinations without application to end entitlement and reinstate it.
The award notice will provide information on the amount carers have been paid for past periods and note that this may not include payment for all of the weeks for which they had applied if they were not eligible for some periods.
Backdating a Carer Support award by more than 13 weeks from application date – application within 13 weeks of a qualifying disability benefit decision
It will be possible for Carer Support awards to be backdated for longer than the standard 13-week period, where the carer applies within 13 weeks of a qualifying disability benefit award being made to the person they care for, for whom they are applying to receive the Carer Support Payment component. (Carer Support Regulations, regulation 19)
Carer Support can be backdated to the first day of the award week in which the start date of the qualifying disability benefit award falls, in situations where the carer has applied for Carer Support within 13 weeks of that qualifying disability decision and the carer was eligible for support on this date (and it is not before 15 March 2026)(Carer Support Regulations, regulation 19). If the carer was not eligible on the date that the cared for person’s disability benefit has been backdated to, the carer’s award should start from the first day of the award week after this point in which they first met all of the eligibility criteria, provided this is no more than 13 weeks after the date the carer’s application was treated as made (received by Social Security Scotland).
Where a qualifying disability benefit is awarded after re-determination or appeal
A carer may be applying for Carer Support Payment within 13 weeks of a re-determination or appeal which is awarding a qualifying disability benefit to the person they care for. In this situation, Carer Support Payment can be backdated to when the cared for person’s entitlement to the qualifying disability benefit started following the re-determination or appeal decision (where the carer meets all the eligibility criteria on this date).
The cared for person may receive ‘short-term assistance’ during a period where they are challenging a decision to remove or reduce a disability benefit they were receiving. If, after this challenge the cared for person is awarded the benefit again, it may be reinstated from the point that it stopped. However, the backdated payment of the cared for person’s qualifying disability benefit award will be reduced because of the short-term assistance they received during the re-determination or appeal. This doesn’t affect the carer’s entitlement to Carer Support Payment. Carer Support Payment can start from the date from which entitlement to the qualifying disability benefit started following the re-determination or appeal and isn’t affected by periods where backdated payments are reduced due to short-term assistance having been paid.
Short-term assistance is not currently available for people challenging Carer Support Payment decisions.
Example: Carer applies for Carer Support Payment when Adult Disability Payment is awarded after a re-determination
Eilidh is a carer for Fergus. Fergus was receiving Adult Disability Payment – the daily living component and mobility component – but following a planned review their daily living component was removed on 05/01/2026. Fergus requested a re-determination of this decision on 19/01/2026 and applied for short-term assistance which was awarded and paid at the rate of the ADP daily living component from 19/01/2026. On 13/04/2025 the re-determination was completed and found that Fergus should have remained entitled to the daily living component. It is awarded again from 05/01/2026 when it was stopped. Fergus is given backdated payments of Adult Disability Payment, but this is reduced to £0 for the period between 19/01/2025 and 13/04/2025 as he has already received payments at the same level for this period through short-term assistance.
Eilidh has been caring for Fergus since 05/01/2026. She applies for Carer Support Payment on 04/05/2026 after Fergus’ ADP re-determination. As she is applying within 13 weeks of the re-determination decision she can be awarded Carer Support Payment from 04/01/2026, the first day of the award week in which Fergus’ entitlement began following that decision. Her award is not affected by the period in which Fergus is paid £0 ADP as only his payments, not his entitlement, is affected in this period.
Backdating for Scottish Carer Supplement
Scottish Carer Supplement is awarded automatically for every week in which Carer Support Payment is payable to the carer (from 15 March 2026 onward). There is no separate backdating process for Scottish Carer Supplement. There is always one determination of entitlement to Carer Support, and all appropriate components will be awarded provided that clients satisfy the eligibility criteria. Scottish Carer Supplement will therefore be paid in line with the carer’s overall Carer Support award where they are awarded Carer Support Payment of more than £0 but would not be paid for any weeks in the backdated period for which Carer Support Payment was not payable
Backdating for Carer Additional Person Payment
There is no separate backdating process for Carer Additional Person Payment. There is always one determination of entitlement to Carer Support, and all appropriate components will be awarded provided that clients satisfy all of the eligibility criteria for each component.
Carer Additional Person Payment can never start before 15 March 2026 – when it was introduced – or from a date which is before the carer was awarded the Carer Support Payment component of Carer Support.
If a carer requests Carer Additional Person Payment as part of a Carer Support Payment application, their Carer Support award including Carer Additional Person Payment can start:
- the start date of their Carer Support award, if the carer met all of the criteria on this date (and the date is not before 15 March 2026).
- This includes situations where Carer Support is backdated by the standard 13 weeks and situations where Carer Support is backdated by more than then standard 13 weeks, including where the carer is applying within 13 weeks of a decision to award a qualifying disability benefit award. It doesn’t matter when the qualifying disability benefit was awarded to the additional cared for person for the Carer Additional Person Payment award as long as the carer meets all of the eligibility criteria (including the caring requirement) on the Carer Support start date. This would be by way of one determination for Carer Support.
- From a date after the start date of their Carer Support award, if the carer did not meet all of the criteria for Carer Additional Person Payment on this date
- In this situation an initial determination of their entitlement to Carer Support would need to be made, including that they are not entitled to Carer Additional Person Payment from the Carer Support start date, followed by a determination without application of their entitlement to Carer Support including the Carer Additional Person Payment component from a later date.
- In this situation, when Carer Additional Person Payment can start is set out in regulations providing for the effective date for a change of circumstances and not backdating rules.
- Carer Additional Person Payment can start from the first day of the award week in which the carer satisfies all of the eligibility criteria as long as they report a change in circumstances within 13 weeks of the change occurring and Carer Support was payable to them on that date. The date can not be before 15 March 2026.
- Where a carer has asked for Carer Additional Person Payment to start on an earlier date which is more than 13 weeks ago, it may be started on that date if the carer met all of the eligibility criteria on that date and they have a ‘good reason’ for not notifying us of this within 13 weeks of meeting the criteria and they have a good reason for not requesting CAPP within 13 weeks of meeting the eligibility criteria.
- Carer Additional Person Payment can start on the date the carer notified us of entitlement to the benefit where the carer has not notified us within 13 weeks of becoming entitled, and they don’t have a good reason for not notifying us sooner.
Requesting Carer Additional Person Payment when Carer Support is already in payment
If a carer requests Carer Additional Person Payment when they are already getting Carer Support, when their award can include Carer Additional Person Payment can start is set out in regulations providing for the effective date of a change of circumstances.
These mean that a determination of all components of Carer Support will be carried out and the:
- Carer Additional Person Payment can start from the first point the carer met all of the eligibility criteria provided they have told us about the relevant change within 13 weeks of it occurring – this may be, for example, that they started caring for the additional cared for person up to 13 weeks ago, or that the additional person they are caring for was awarded a qualifying disability benefit up to 13 weeks ago.
- Carer Additional Person Payment can start from the first point the carer met all of the eligibility criteria where they have told us about the relevant change more than 13 weeks after it occurred but we consider they have a ‘good reason’ for not reporting the change sooner
- Carer Additional Person Payment will start from the first day of the award week in which the determination is made that the carer is entitled, where the carer has told us about the relevant change more than 13 weeks after it occurred, and we don’t consider they have a good reason for this
Carers whose benefits transferred from Carer Support Payment to Carer Support
A determination without application (DWA) of entitlement to Carer Support must be made for all carers with ongoing entitlement to Carer Support Payment on 14 March 2026, with some exceptions. (Carer’s Assistance (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments, Revocation, Transitional and Saving Provisions)(Scotland) Regulations 2025, Sch 2)This allows their benefits to be ‘transferred’ from Carer Support Payment to Carer Support so they can receive Scottish Carer Supplement and, if eligible, Carer Additional Person Payment. These carers will receive information about Carer Additional Person Payment eligibility criteria and how to request this support in their determination notice.
For carers in this situation, Carer Additional Person Payment can start
- From 15 March 2026, or the first day of the award week after this that the carer met all of the eligibility criteria, provided they provide information demonstrating they would have been eligible on 15 March/this later date, within 13 weeks of the determination without application of their entitlement to Carer Support
- From 15 March 2026, or the first day of the award week after this that the carer met all of the eligibility criteria, where they provide information demonstrating they would have been eligible on 15 March/this later date, more than 13 weeks from the determination without application of their entitlement to Carer Support, but we are satisfied they have a good reason for providing this later
- From 15 March 2026, or the first day of the award week after the individual provided the information demonstrating their eligibility, where they provide this more than 13 weeks from the determination without application of their entitlement to Carer Support, but we are not satisfied they have a good reason for this.
Applications with backdating to before 15 March 2026
Carers will generally be able to apply for Carer Support and backdate their application for 13 weeks without giving a reason.
Carers may choose a start date on their Carer Support Payment application which is before Carer Support replaced Carer Support Payment on 15 March 2026. This may happen when they apply for Carer Support within 13 weeks of 15 March 2026 or when they apply later for extended backdating.
In this situation, where the carer would be entitled to Carer Support Payment for a period before 15 March 2026, the application for Carer Support can be treated as an application for Carer Support Payment for the period up to 15 March 2026. We should determine entitlement to Carer Support Payment for this period using the Carer Support Payment rules that applied up to 15 March 2026. We should then determine entitlement to Carer Support from 15 March 2026 onward based on the client’s entitlement to Carer Support Payment on 14 March 2026.
Example: Magda applies for Carer Support on 20 March 2026. When completing her application, Magda asks for her award to start from 1 February 2026 because she was already providing 35 hours of care each week and met all the eligibility criteria during that period.
Magda is entitled to support from 01 February 2026 so her application for Carer Support can be treated as an application for Carer Support Payment for the period before 15 March 2026 and a determination of her entitlement to Carer Support Payment is made for the period from 01 February 2026 to 15 March 2026. A determination of her entitlement to Carer Support is also made from 15 March 2026.
Backdating to before 15 March 2026 or 19 November 2023
CSP can be backdated to the start of the qualifying disability benefit award in situations where an application is made within 13 weeks of a qualifying disability benefit decision, where the carer was eligible for support throughout.(Carer Support Payment Regulations, regulation 20) If the carer was not eligible for the full period for which the cared for person’s disability benefit has been backdated, the carer’s award should start from the first day of the award week in which they first met all of the eligibility criteria.
Where a carer applies for Carer Support within 13 weeks of the qualifying disability benefit being awarded to the person they are caring for, and the qualifying disability benefit award has been backdated to a date before 15 March 2026, they may be able to backdate the Carer Support Payment component of their Carer Support award to prior to 15 March 2026 if they fulfil the eligibility criteria for that time period. In such a case, the application for Carer Support can be treated as an application for Carer Support Payment for the period up to 15 March 2026,. We should determine entitlement to Carer Support Payment for this period using the Carer Support Payment rules that applied up to 15 March 2026. [See Carer Support Payment rules prior to 15 March below]. We should then determine entitlement to Carer Support from 15 March 2026 onward based on the client’s entitlement to Carer Support Payment on 14 March 2026..
Carer Support applications with backdating before 19 November 2023
In the unusual scenario that a carer has made an application for Carer Support after 15 March 2026, and, following a decision on the qualifying disability benefit of the person they care for, wants to backdate their award to a date before 19 November 2023, when Carer Support Payment was first launched, they may be eligible to do this where they met all of the eligibility criteria on their chosen start date. In this situation the application for Carer Support can be treated as an application for Carer Support Payment for the period up to 15 March 2026. Any payments which are made for the period before 19 November 2023 are treated in law as payments of Carer’s Allowance. (Carer Support Payment regulations, regulation 20 (saved for situations where, under regulation 19, as applied before 15 March 2026, an individual is entitled to Carer Support Payment for a date before 19 November 2023)) However, some carers may not be able to backdate their Carer Support Payment component to before 19 November 2023.
Where an application for Carer Support Payment is treated as made before 15 March 2026 is being considered after 15 March 2026
Carer Support replaced Carer Support Payment from 15 March 2026. Where a carer made an application for Carer Support Payment before 15 March 2026 and this is been considered after 15 March 2026 the application should be determined in accordance with the Carer Support Payment regulations as they applied for any period before 15 March 2026.
If the carer is eligible for Carer Support Payment for a period before 15 March 2026 the carer can be awarded Carer Support Payment for any period for which they were eligible from the chosen start date on their application up to 15 March 2026 when Carer Support Payment was replaced by Carer Support. If, following this initial determination of entitlement to Carer Support Payment, the carer has ongoing entitlement to that benefit on 14 March 2026, a determination without application should then be made to transfer their award to Carer Support from 15 March 2026. As the Carer Support Payment application they filled in would not have asked about entitlement to Carer Additional Person Payment, their Carer Support award could not include any additional Carer Additional Person Payment, and they would need to request this separately. Clients will receive a determination notice notifying them that their award has been transferred so they will now receive Carer Support Payment and Scottish Carer Supplement components. They will also be informed about the introduction of Carer Additional Person Payment and invited to apply if eligible.
If the carer is not eligible for Carer Support Payment for any period before 15 March 2026, but would be eligible for Carer Support from a date after this, which is no more than 13 weeks after the day on which their application was treated as made (received by Social Security Scotland), the application for Carer Support Payment can be treated as an application for Carer Support, and the carer can be awarded Carer Support from the first day they met the eligibility requirements. As the Carer Support Payment application they filled in would not have asked about entitlement to Carer Additional Person Payment, their Carer Support award could not include any additional Carer Additional Person Payment, and they would need to request this separately.
Applications for Carer Support from carers getting Carer's Allowance who have moved to Scotland from the rest of the UK, or carers who should have had their award transferred but did not
The process of ‘case transfer’ from Carer’s Allowance to Carer Support Payment ended on 6 November 2025.
A new application is required for carers getting Carer’s Allowance who move from the rest of the UK to Scotland and anyone who should have had their award transferred but have not.
The cross border decision making guidance sets out the different rules that apply to these two groups (When an individual in receipt of an equivalent benefit moves to Scotland | Social Security Scotland and If the client should have had their award transferred but did not | Social Security Scotland).
Backdating of Carer Support after an initial application
Scottish Ministers have a duty to ensure people can access all of the support they are entitled to. If carers are not aware of the rules around backdating when they first apply for support, they may miss out on backdated support they are entitled to by choosing a later start date than when they first became eligible.
Where a carer becomes aware they could have chosen an earlier start date
If, following an award of Carer Support, a carer becomes aware that they would have been entitled to more backdated support had they chosen an earlier start date, we can make a determination without application to award them more backdated support. The carer needs to contact us within 13 weeks of the original decision (or later where they have a good reason for doing so). We can then make the determination without application to award them any backdated support that they missed out on (where they are eligible). (Carer Support Payment regulations, regulation 36(e) [as amended version]) This may happen in circumstances where a client has been given advice by a support or rights organisation that they have missed out on support.
Example: Fraser applies for Carer Support on 05 May 2026 and chooses a start date of that day. He is awarded Carer Support from the first day of that award week, 03 May 2026. A few weeks later, Fraser speaks to a local carers’ centre. They explain that he could have backdated his Carer Support Payment up to 13 weeks before that date as he had been providing care since February 2026. Fraser contacts Social Security Scotland about this on 20 June — which is within 13 weeks of his original award decision. Because Fraser has contacted us within this time, Social Security Scotland can make a determination without application. If Fraser meets the criteria, he can be awarded the extra backdated Carer Support Payment he missed out on – up to 13 weeks before the date he applied.
If a carer contacts us to request more backdated support and we find that no determination without application is required because the carer is only entitled to the amount of Carer Support Payment they have already been awarded, we would need to inform them of this.
If the carer disagreed with this, they could then request a re-determination of our original decision to award Carer Support Payment only from the original date. If this was after the 42 days they would normally have to submit the re-determination request we could consider whether it is a 'good reason' for a late request if they were unaware when Carer Support Payment was originally awarded that they should have been entitled to further backdating.
Where it is identified a carer would have been entitled to more backdated support than they were awarded
If, following an award of Carer Support Payment, it is identified that a carer would have been entitled to more backdated support than they were awarded, for example, because they had applied within 13 weeks of a decision to award a qualifying disability benefit to the person they are caring for, and this qualifying disability benefit had been backdated for more than 13 weeks, we can make a determination without application to award them more backdated support. This may also happen where, at the time the carer applied, information was not available to confirm they were eligible for more backdating for example where inaccurate information on the qualifying disability benefit decision was provided by DWP.
This is possible as regulations allow us to make a determination without application where we have ‘become aware that a determination of an individual’s entitlement was made in ignorance of a material fact’ (in this case the date of the qualifying disability benefit award). (Carer Support Payment Regulations, regulation 36(b))
Safeguarding clients from ‘high value’ payments
Carers may be entitled to receive large amounts of money in one payment where they are receiving support which is backdated over a number of months. Client advisers should consider whether this may be an issue where clients are due to receive large sums. This is because some vulnerable clients can find it hard to manage a large amount of money.
For Social Security Scotland, there is not an exact amount that makes a payment ‘high value’. Each client's circumstances and vulnerability will decide if the ‘Helping vulnerable clients manage high value payments’ guidance should be followed.
Client advisers can also refer to the ‘Vulnerability Guides’ for more information about potential client vulnerabilities and what you can do to help them.
Further information in respect of clients who may be at risk of harm and need extra support can be found here: Clients at risk of harm guidance for staff | Social Security Scotland.
Applying in advance or where a carer is only entitled after their application date
Carers are not able apply for Carer Support in advance – in that it is not possible to choose a future start date on a Carer Support Payment application.
However, when an application is being considered, if the carer doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria on their chosen start date, or their application date, but they would meet the eligibility criteria on a later date, their entitlement to Carer Support can start on this future date, as long as this is no more than 13 weeks after the date on which their application is made. (Carer Support Payment regulations, Regulation 18(3)) An application for Carer Support Payment is treated on the date it is received. (Carer Support Payment regulations, Regulation 18(1)) This may be the case, for example, where a carer is working and has earnings over the limit on their application date, but lower earnings under the limit from a later date or where a carer does not meet the ‘past presence’ test on their application date, but does from a later date.
Carers may not be eligible on the date of their application for Carer Support if they have recently moved to Scotland from the rest of the UK and are still receiving Carer’s Allowance as part of a DWP run on. More information on handling applications from these ‘cross-border’ clients is included in the Moving to Scotland DMG.