Temporary breaks in care
This chapter is about how temporary breaks in care for a cared for person affect entitlement to Carer Support and the different rules which apply before and after 15 March 2026.
Carer Support is one benefit consisting of three components:
- Carer Support Payment (CSP)
- Scottish Carer Supplement (SCS)
- Carer Additional Person Payment (CAPP)
Where a determination is carried out this will be a determination of all three components. Scottish Carer Supplement (SCS) is paid wherever CSP is paid, so there is no need to consider this component in relation to breaks in care.
However where a carer temporarily has a break from caring for the Carer Support Payment component, this will affect all three components within the award and the whole award may end.
Where the temporary break in care relates to the Carer Additional Person Payment, only the relevant Carer Additional Person Payment award will end and Carer Support Payment and Scottish Carer Supplement and any other Carer Additional Person Payment can continue.
The rules for when carers can continue to receive support when they have a temporary break from caring changed on 15 March 2026. However where a break in care began before the 15 March 2026, the old rules will apply in respect of any period before 15 March 2026.
Breaks from caring help unpaid carers cope with their caring role and look after their own health and wellbeing. Carers can still receive support in some instances where they have temporarily stopped providing care. The cared for person must still be getting a qualifying disability benefit.
A temporary break in care is where the carer is not providing the required number of caring hours in a ‘caring week’ (from Sunday to Saturday). The carer must intend to resume caring soon – so they have not permanently stopped providing care.
For Carer Support Payment a carer must be caring for at least 35 hours a week (CSP Regs 2023, Reg 5(2)).
For Carer Additional Person Payment a carer must be caring for at least 20 hours a week for each additional cared for person (CSP Regs 2023, Reg 14B(3)).