Carers receiving payments through Self-Directed Support

People who are eligible for social care support can choose to get this through a ‘direct payment’ which allows them to employ people to support them. This may be known as ‘Self Directed Support’. People who are eligible for this support are allowed to employ family or friends to support them.

This means some unpaid carers may be receiving some payments through ‘Self Directed Support’ or ‘Direct Payments’ from the person they care for, to provide care for them. They may have a contract for the care they are providing in this way.

These carers can be entitled to Carer Support Payment where they are providing 35 hours of care in addition to any care they are paid for or providing under a contract as part of Self-Directed Support.

Carers who are not providing 35 hours of care for the person they are caring for in addition to the care they are paid for through Self-Directed Support would not be eligible. They would not meet the requirement of providing 35 hours of care which is not provided under a contract.

Example 3 – unpaid caring in addition to paid care – regular and substantial

Sammy provides care for Mark. Mark has opted to manage his own care through self-directed support, and he pays Sammy for 12 hours a week at £15 per hour. Sammy is able to show that they are actually caring for Mark for around 49 hours per week, therefore they are providing at least 35 hours a week of unpaid care. Sammy’s earnings from the 12 hours per week of paid care are £180, which is under the earnings threshold for Carer Support. Taking all of this into account, Sammy is eligible to receive Carer Support.