Who can make a new application

An individual carer, or someone acting on their behalf can make an application.

Someone may be acting on behalf of another adult who is unable to complete the application themselves because of incapacity. This could be an appointee (someone appointed by Social Security Scotland or the Department for Work and Pensions to act on behalf of the individual), or someone with Power of Attorney, Guardianship, or a Tutor or Curator Bonis in Scotland. They may be referred to as a Personal Acting Body (PAB) or Corporate Acting Body (CAB). For more information on client representatives, see Client representatives | Social Security Scotland

In addition, carers can also get support from a third party representative. A third party representative (such as a friend, family member, welfare rights adviser, or professional) can help a client communicate with Social Security Scotland, ask about their application, help request a re-determination or appeal, and receive copies of notifications.

They cannot make an application or a decision on behalf of the client — unless they are also an appointee or legal acting body. For more information, see Third party representatives | Social Security Scotland.

The individual must meet all of the relevant eligibility criteria set out in regulations in relation to age, residence and presence and education (Carer Support regulations, Regulations 3(2)), and the relevant criteria for one or more of the components – Carer Support Payment(Carer Support regulations, Regulation 4A), Scottish Carer Supplement (Carer Support regulations, Regulation 14A) or Carer Additional Person Payment (Carer Support regulations, Regulation 14B) to be awarded Carer Support. In practice this means that carers would need to meet eligibility criteria for Carer Support Payment to be awarded support.

To be eligible for Carer Support Payment, the carer must be providing 35 hours or more of care a week to someone getting a qualifying disability benefit, not receiving either Carer’s Allowance, or Universal Credit Carer Element for a different cared for person, and not earning more the earnings threshold each week from paid work, after certain deductions. (Carer Support regulations, Regulation 4A) For current and previous earnings thresholds please see operational guidance on benefit rates.

The Scottish Carer Supplement component of Carer Support is paid automatically to carers in receipt of the Carer Support Payment component, for every award week Carer Support Payment is payable. (Carer Support regulations, Regulation 14A.)

To be eligible for Carer Additional Person Payment, carers must be paid Carer Support Payment and care for each additional cared for person for at least 20 hours or more a week. The cared for person must also receive a qualifying disability benefit (Carer Support Regulations, regulation 14B)

If a carer is making a new application for Carer Support from 15 March 2026, they are asked whether they fulfil the eligibility criteria for the Carer Additional Person Payment component. (Carer Support Regulations, regulation 14B) Go to How to make an application.

For more information on the eligibility criteria for all three components of Carer Support, please refer to the Overview of Determinations and Awards Decision Making Guide.

Applying for or requesting Carer Additonal Person Payment

Clients can request the Carer Additional Person Payment component by completing either the:

• Carer Support Payment application form, if they’re submitting a new application for Carer Support.
• the Carer Support Payment change of circumstances form, if the carer has recently submitted their application for Carer Support Payment or has already been awarded Carer Support.

When a carer requests four or more Carer Additional Person Payment awards 

There's no limit on the number of Carer Additional Person Payment awards a carer can receive which is a component of their Carer Support award (Carer Support Payment Regulations, regulation 14B), but where a carer advises that they are caring for four or more Carer Additional Person Payment cared for persons, advisors will be required to consider whether the caring hours requirement of 20 hours a week is being met for each additional cared for person. In these cases, additional evidence to establish that the caring hours requirement is being met can be requested. 

There is more information in the DMG chapter When a carer requests four or more Carer Additional Person Payment awards. 

If a new application is received for Carer Support from 15 March 2026 and the carer meets all of the eligibility criteria, a determination of entitlement to Carer Support (all three components) will be made, including any Carer Additional Person Payment awards. This will be one determination of entitlement covering all three components (Carer Support Payment, Scottish Carer Supplement and Carer Additional Person Payment). Similarly, where a redetermination or appeal is requested, this will apply to all three components of Carer Support.

Where a carer is already receiving Carer Support Payment, they do not need to make a new application to get Carer Additional Person Payment. The client can notify Social Security Scotland that they are now caring for additional people for 20 hours or more a week. This can be done by reporting a change of circumstances. When this happens, we should check that the carer meets the Carer Additional Person Payment eligibility rules.

Where the carer is eligible for a Carer Additional Person Payment a determination without application of their entitlement to Carer Support can be carried out to award Carer Additional Person Payment. This is a determination of all three components and a new determination notice sent to the carer. Where the carer is not entitled, a determination without application should be made that they are not entitled to Carer Additional Person Payment and the carer notified of this. Normal re-determination and appeals rules will apply.

Rival carer scenarios

Rival carer scenarios for Carer Support Payment component 

It is not possible for a carer to get the Carer Support Payment component of Carer Support if another carer is receiving any of the following for care they provide to the same cared for person:

• the Carer Support Payment component of Carer Support
• Carer’s Allowance
• the carer element of Universal Credit

A process will need to be carried out to determine who should receive support if an application is received for Carer Support and another person is already receiving one of the above benefits for caring for the same person. These situations are sometimes known as ‘rival carer’ situations.

Rival carer scenarios for Carer Additional Person Payment

It is not possible for a carer to be awarded Carer Additional Person Payment if another carer is receiving Carer Additional Person Payment already for the same cared for personCarer Support Payment Regulations, regulation 14B)

A process will need to be carried out if an application for Carer Support is received which includes a Carer Additional Person Payment request or where a carer, already receiving an award of Carer Support and reports a change of circumstance to received Carer Additional Person Payment and another person is already receiving Carer Additional Person Payment for caring for the same person. These situations are sometimes known as ‘rival carers’ situations.

Where a carer is receiving the Carer Additional Person Payment component, a different carer can receive the Carer Support Payment component of Carer Support, Carer’s Allowance, the Carer Element of Universal Credit, or the Young Carer Grant for caring for the same additional cared for person. (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 14B(4))

There may be situations where carers are sharing care for a cared for person over the same award week and both could be eligible for the Carer Support Payment award as they each provide 35+ hours of care a week (or 20+ hours a week for the Carer Additional Person Payment component). Only one carer can receive the Carer Support Payment component (or the Carer Additional Person Payment component where appropriate) for care of the same person and a ‘rival carers’ process would need to be carried out. Client Advisers should follow the advice set out in the Rival Carers DMG.

Example of Rival Carers situation - Two carers want Carer Additional Person Payment (CAPP) for the same person

Anya and her brother Marek both care for their father Piotr for more than 20 hours a week.

Both apply for Carer Support including Carer Additional Person Payment for caring for Piotr. Only one of them can get CAPP for Piotr in the same award week.

A ‘rival carers’ process will decide which carer can get it.

Applying for Carer Support more than once

Once an individual has applied for Carer Support in respect of a period, and a determination of their entitlement has been made for that period, they can’t make another application for that period. The period covered by an application starts on the date the application is treated as made, or on the carer’s chosen start date if they have requested a start date before their application date. It ends on the day on which the determination of entitlement is made, or the date entitlement begins, whichever is later (see the link to ‘backdating’ section for more details). (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 18(4) and Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, section 38(3))

For ‘cross border’ clients who are applying following a move from the rest of the UK to Scotland, or clients who are applying as ‘missed case transfer’ clients or because they have been awarded Carer’s Allowance retrospectively, the period covered by an application begins on the date of their move from the rest of the UK, or the date their entitlement to Carer’s Allowance ended, and ends on the day on which the determination of entitlement is made, or the date entitlement begins, whichever is later. For more information on ‘cross border’ clients and missed case transfer see the cross-border Decision Making Guidance.

Carers can use the change of circumstances form to report changes about:

• themselves (for example, changes that affect their own eligibility)
• each individual cared for person (for example, if something changes that affects eligibility for Carer Additional Person Payment)
• all cared for persons on the award, if the change applies to everyone

This includes when a carer wants to:

• add an additional cared for person to their award
• report any other change of circumstances affecting entitlement