Rates and form of payment

Carer Support Payment is usually paid via bank transfer to a nominated bank account. 

The carer may not have access to a bank account. If this is the case, Social Security Scotland will contact them to establish a suitable payment method.

The rate at which Carer Support Payment is paid is £83.30 per week in 2025/2026. There is only one rate. Carers may receive a lower amount than this if they are also getting an ‘overlapping benefit’ (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 16). The amount of Carer Support Payment should be reduced by the amount of the overlapping benefit.

Overlapping benefits – benefits that can’t be paid at the same time as Carer Support Payment 

Overlapping benefits are benefits that can’t be paid at the same time because they are paid for the same purpose. Carer Support Payment is an ‘income replacement’ benefit so it can’t be paid in full at the same time as other ‘income replacement’ benefits.  

Where a carer is entitled to Carer Support Payment and one of the overlapping benefits below at the same time, the amount of Carer Support Payment should be reduced by the amount of the overlapping benefit the carer is getting (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 16 (2) and (3)).

The overlapping benefits are: 

• State Pension  
• Retirement Pension
• Incapacity Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Unemployability Supplement that is paid with Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit or War Pension 
• Widow’s Pension or Bereavement Allowance 
• Widowed Mother’s Allowance or Widowed Parent’s Allowance
• War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension 
• Widow's Allowance or Widow's Benefit
• Maternity Allowance
• Industrial Death Benefit 
• Contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (also known as ‘New Style’ Jobseeker’s Allowance), or 
• Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (also known as ‘New Style’ Employment and Support Allowance)
• Training Allowance

These benefits are paid by the DWP with the exception of: 

• Training Allowance  
• the Unemployability Supplement paid with War Pension; and  
• the War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension

Training Allowance is usually paid to young people in work-based training by their local authority. War Pension and the War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension are benefits for war veterans or their families and are paid by Veterans UK on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. 

Where the overlapping benefit the carer is getting is worth less than Carer Support Payment, the amount of Carer Support Payment they should receive is the difference between the amount of overlapping benefit that they are getting and the amount of Carer Support Payment.  

Where the amount of the overlapping benefit the carer is getting is equal to or more than Carer Support Payment, the amount of Carer Support Payment will be calculated at £0 (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 16 (2) and (3)).

Underlying entitlement - when a carer is receiving another benefit that can't be paid at the same time as Carer Support Payment

If a carer receives a Carer Support Payment award that is calculated at £0 because they get an overlapping benefit, they will have what is called ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer Support Payment.

This means they are eligible for the benefit because they fulfil the eligibility criteria, but we don’t make payments to them because they are already getting another benefit for the same purpose.

This term is also used by the DWP. Having ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer Support Payment can allow carers to get benefits they couldn’t get before or extra amounts in other benefits. 

Underlying entitlement - effect on DWP benefits 

Carers who are entitled to the following benefits can get extra amounts if they have ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer Support Payment: 

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance 
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance 
• Income Support 
• Housing Benefit 
• Council Tax Reduction 
• Universal Credit 
• Pension Credit 

The extra amount paid with income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction is called a Carer Premium. It is worth £46.40 a week (2025/26) and can be paid at a double rate if a carer and their partner both qualify.  

The extra amount paid with Universal Credit is called a Carer Element. It is worth £201.68 a month (2025/26). Carers who are eligible for Carer Support Payment will also be in the ‘no work-related requirements’ group for Universal Credit.   

The extra amount paid with Pension Credit is called a Carer Addition. It is worth £46.40 a week (2025/26) and can be paid at a double rate if a carer and their partner both qualify.  

Underlying entitlement - effect on HMRC support 

Having ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer Support Payment will also affect work requirements for support provided by HMRC. If a Carer Support Payment client is in a couple and they have a child, having ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer Support Payment will mean they are considered to be in ‘qualifying paid work’ for access to Tax Free Childcare from HMRC.  

Information on underlying entitlement 

Information on the potential benefits of underlying entitlement is included in the award notice provided to clients who are awarded underlying entitlement (or who have an ongoing award which changes to underlying entitlement). Clients can use the letter as proof of their ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer Support Payment where they need this to access other support.  

Underlying entitlement and Carer’s Allowance Supplement 

Clients receiving Carer Support Payment will receive automatic payments of Carer’s Allowance Supplement, which is an extra payment for people in receipt of Carer Support Payment (or Carer’s Allowance) in Scotland. This includes clients receiving a reduced rate of Carer Support Payment because of overlapping benefits.  

Clients whose Carer Support Payment has been reduced to £0 with ‘underlying entitlement’ do not receive Carer’s Allowance Supplement.  

Carer Support Payment – effect on other benefits 

Carer Support Payment is an ‘income replacement’ benefit. It is intended to replace income as carers may be less able to take on paid work because of their caring role. As an ‘income replacement’ benefit, it can affect other benefits a client receives. 

Treatment of Carer Support Payment as income 

As an income replacement benefit, Carer Support Payment will count as income when entitlement to income-related benefits (or ‘means tested’ benefits) is calculated – so these benefits will be reduced by the amount of Carer Support Payment a client receives. The following income-related benefits are reduced at the rate of £1 for £1 by the amount of Carer Support Payment received: 

• Universal Credit 
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance  
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance  
• Income Support  
• Housing Benefit 
• Council Tax Reduction 

Clients should be better off overall from receiving Carer Support Payment even with this reduction as these means-tested benefit calculations will include a Carer Premium, Carer Addition, or Carer Element in recognition of the caring role. These additional amounts are: 

Carer Premium: an additional amount included in the calculation of income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, and Council Tax Reduction. Carer Premium is worth £46.40 a week (2025/26 rate) and can be paid at double rate if the client and their partner both qualify. 

Carer Addition: An extra amount of money paid with Pension Credit. Carer Addition is worth £46.40 a week (2025/26 rate) and can be paid at double rate if the client and their partner both qualify. 

Carer Element: An extra amount of money paid with Universal Credit. This will be paid if the client is entitled to or receiving Carer Support Payment but it is not necessary to claim Carer Support Payment for the Carer Element of Universal Credit to be paid. Eligibility for the Carer Element will mean the client is in the ‘no work-related requirements’ group for Universal Credit. Carer Element is worth £201.68 a month (2025/26 rate).