When payments may be suspended

Ongoing payments of Carer Support may be suspended where: 

• we are considering if a determination without application needs to be made on a client’s entitlement to Carer Support and have requested information from the client and they have not provided this on time 
• arrangements have been made for someone to receive assistance on behalf of the client, and suspension is considered necessary because that person is no longer able to continue receiving payments, or it is considered the arrangement is putting the client at risk of financial abuse (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 29)

This may mean that only part, or all of the Carer Support award will be suspended depending on which component the circumstances apply to.

If the circumstances relate to a specific Carer Additional Person Payment component, only the relevant Carer Additional Person Payment award will be suspended and Carer Support Payment, Scottish Carer Supplement and any other Carer Additional Person Payments in the award can continue.

If the circumstances relate to the Carer Support Payment component, this would result in the Carer Support Payment award being suspended which would mean the whole award (including Scottish Carer Supplement and any Carer Additional Person Payment) are suspended. This is because carers require to be receiving Carer Support Payment in order to receive Scottish Carer Supplement and Carer Additional Person Payment.

Decisions about whether or not to suspend payments must look at whether this would cause financial problems for the client. (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 30)

Carers must be informed of the reasons for the suspension and be given information in writing on this. Carers will be able to request a review of the decision to suspend their payments if they disagree with this. (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 31 and 32) This review does not have the same status as a re-determination or appeal.

When a suspension is ended, the client must be paid any payments they were entitled to which were not paid during the suspension. (Carer Support Payment Regulations, Regulation 33)

For more information, see Decision Making Guidance on Suspensions for Carer Support Payment. 

Impact of suspension of Carer Support Payment component on linked entitlements 

When the Carer Support Payment component is suspended, there should be no impact on any linked support a client is receiving from the DWP, for example any Carer Premium in income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, Carer Element in Universal Credit, or Carer Addition in Pension Credit.

The DWP should be informed of suspensions of the Carer Support Payment component but changes to other benefits would only be made if the award is temporarily stopped or ended following a suspension. This is intended to prevent overpayments of DWP benefits.

When the Carer Support Payment component is suspended the client will not be eligible for the Scottish Carer Supplement or Carer Additional Person Payment components.

If the suspension is later ended and the carer is found to be entitled to receive the Carer Support Payment component, this will be backdated. Payments of Scottish Carer Supplement, and if they are eligible, Carer Additional Person Payment, will also be backdated and paid for any award weeks for which the Carer Support Payment component is paid.

When a qualifying disability benefit is suspended 

The Carer Support Payment and Carer Additional Person Payment components can be temporarily stopped in some situations where the qualifying disability benefit of the cared for person or additional cared for person is suspended. Where the Carer Support Payment component is stopped, the Scottish Carer Supplement and Carer Additional Person Payment components will also be stopped. Where Carer Additional Person Payment is stopped, Carer Support Payment and Scottish Carer Supplement can still be paid if the carer remains eligible for these. More information on this is provided in the section on temporary stops.