Caring requirement for Carer Additional Person Payment
To be eligible for Carer Additional Person Payment, an individual must be:
- receiving Carer Support Payment for looking after a cared for person
- regularly providing at least 20 hours of care per week for an additional cared for person, who must be getting a qualifying disability benefit1.
1 Carers Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023, reg 14B(3)
An individual may have temporary breaks in care and still be able to receive Carer Additional Person Payment– more information about this is in the Temporary Breaks in Care guidance.
The 35+ hours spent caring for the person for whom someone is receiving Carer Support Payment can overlap with the 20+ hours they spend caring for the person for whom they’re receiving Carer Additional Person Payment. Similarly, if a person is receiving Carer Additional Person Payment for caring for more than one additional person, the hours spent caring for them can overlap as well.2
2 Carers Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023, reg 14B(5)
Example 1 – hours of care for two cared for people overlap
Peter is a carer for his brother Gordon and nephew Andrew. Peter spends approximately 42 hours per week caring for them both at their home. Although some of the caring activity is done individually, there are various types of care he can do for both of them at the same time, such as making them dinner, taking them shopping, supporting social activities or supervising to keep them safe. He meets the 35 hour threshold for Carer Support Payment for looking after Gordon, and because the hours spent caring can overlap, he also meets the 20 hour threshold to be eligible for Carer Additional Person Payment for looking after Andrew.