When payment can be stopped

Payments of Carer Support should stop after an individual’s entitlement to the benefit ends.

Death of an individual

When a case manager is notified that a client who is entitled to Carer Support has died, they must make a determination without application. (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 36(c)) Please refer to the Death of an individual chapter for more information. 

An overpayment can occur when Social Security Scotland is not informed immediately of the death of an individual who is entitled to Carer Support.

If this happens, an individual’s estate may be liable to Social Security Scotland for any sums paid after death. The value of the overpayment is the amount of assistance paid since the day following the date of death. Social Security Scotland will contact the individual’s next of kin, or the person who registered the death, to make further enquiries if this happens. 

Cared for person for whom a carer is getting Carer Support Payment died before 15 March 2026

Carer Support Payment will continue to be paid until:

• the first day of the award week following the award week in which the individual ceases to satisfy any other eligibility requirement for Carer Support Payment, or
• for a period of 8 award weeks (The Carer’s Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023, Regulation 16(4)) after the first day of the award week following the award week in which the cared for person died, whichever comes first.

Carer Support Payment Regulations 2023, Regulation 16(4)

Because the cared for person died before the date in which Carer Support was introduced (15 March 2026), these cases will not transfer to Carer Support. Therefore there will be no entitlement to Scottish Carer Supplement or Carer Additional Person Payment components.

Cared for person died for whom someone is receiving Carer Support Payment died on or after 15 March 2026

• Carer Support Payment will be paid until the first day of the award week following the award week in which the individual ceases to satisfy any other eligibility requirement for Carer Support Payment, or
• until the end of a period of 12 award weeks ((Carer Support Payment Regulation 2023, Regulation 16, as amended by Regulation 12 of the The Carer’s Assistance (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments, Revocation, Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2025)) after the first day of the award week following the award week in which the cared for person died, whichever comes first.

The carer will no longer be entitled to the Scottish Carer Supplement component or any Carer Additional Person Payment component after the Carer Support Payment component ends.

Additional Cared for person dies

When an additional cared for person for whom a carer is getting Carer Additional Person Payment dies, Carer Additional Person Payment will continue to be paid until the carer is no longer paid Carer Support Payment, or until the end of a period of 12 award weeks ((Carer Support Payment Regulation 2023, Regulation 16, as amended by Regulation 12 of the The Carer’s Assistance (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments, Revocation, Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2025)) after the first day of the award week following the award week in which the additional cared for person died.

Whilst the relevant Carer Additional Person Payment award will end due to the death of the Carer Additional Person cared for person, Carer Support Payment, Scottish Carer Supplement and any other Carer Additional Person Payment awards can continue as they are not affected by the death of one Carer Additional Person Payment person.

Please refer to the Death of an individual chapter for more information. 

When someone receiving Carer Support moves out of Scotland to somewhere elsewhere in the UK, Carer Support can continue to be paid for 13 weeks from the date of their move outside of Scotland. For more information see the moving out of Scotland chapter.

Right to stop receiving assistance

Individuals also have a right to request payments to stop at any time. In these cases, managers should cancel an award. Individuals can request that payments stop either:

• with immediate effect
• on a specific date. (Social Security (Scotland Act) 2018 , s 26(2))

Where an individual has requested that payments stop, the case manager or client adviser should ensure that the individual or their representative is clear about the impact that the decision to stop payment of Carer Support could potentially have.

It could mean other benefits in payment because of entitlement to Carer Support may be affected. For more information, see passporting benefits, operational guidance and an individual’s right to stop receiving assistance chapter.