Multiple applications for the same cared for person for Carer Support

Introduction

This guidance sets out the process for situations where there are multiple applications for the same cared for person for Carer Support. This is sometimes known as ‘rival carers (The Carer’s Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023, Regulations. Regulation 24)’.

Carer Support is one benefit consisting of three components (The Carer’s Assistance (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments, Revocation, Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2025, Regulation 3):

• Carer Support Payment
• Scottish Carer Supplement
• Carer Additional Person Payment

For more information, read Overview of Carer Support.

There may be situations where more than one application is received for the same cared for person for either the Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment components. Scottish Carer Supplement is automatically awarded when Carer Support Payment is paid so any changes to Carer Support Payment will affect Scottish Carer Supplement.

To be eligible for the Carer Support Payment component of Carer Support a carer needs to be providing at least 35 (The Carer’s Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023, Regulation 5(3)) hours of care a week and for Carer Additional Person Payment they need to be providing care for at least 20 (The Carer’s Assistance (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments, Revocation, Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2025, Regulation 14B (3)) hours of care a week.

The cared for person or additional cared for person needs to be getting a qualifying disability benefit. Where two carers are providing care to the same cared for person, only one of them can get Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment.

There will never be a situation where an application for a Carer Support Payment cared for person would create a rival carer situation for a Carer Additional Person Payment cared for person. Rival carer situations only arise when there are multiple applications for the same cared for person.   

For example:

• more than one Carer Support Payment application for the same cared for person
• more than one Carer Additional Person Payment application for the same cared for person

The Department for Work and Pensions makes decisions on UK benefits on behalf of The Secretary of State and Social Security Scotland make decisions on devolved Scottish benefits on behalf of Scottish Ministers. This means that where there is a rival carer situation for Carer Support Payment of a Carer Support award versus Carer’s Allowance we may need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions or Northern Ireland Department for Communities to decide who should receive support. 

There may also be situations where two applications are received for Carer Support which includes Carer Support Payment and Carer Additional Person Payment components. This creates a direct rival carer situation for both the Carer Support Payment and Carer Additional Person Payment cared for persons. For more information, read the guidance on Cross-border Carer Support Payment.

The Carer Support application should not be immediately processed. Instead the rival carer process should be carried out for both Carer Support Payment and Carer Additional Person Payment first to determine who should correctly receive support and then a determination is carried out to correctly award the carer who is entitled.