Error that leads to an overpayment
An error (including official errors) may result in an overpayment which can include:
- an award of Carer Support Payment to which the client was not entitled (Carer Support Payment Regulations, regulation 38 (1)(b)(i))
- a higher award than that to which they were entitled (Carer Support Payment Regulations, regulation 38 (1)(b)(ii))
Example 1: non-official error in client providing incorrect information, leading to an overpayment
Joe has been in receipt of Carer Support Payment since November 2024 for caring for their friend Katie. Two weeks after Joe’s application is determined, Laura applies on the basis that she provides care for Katie.
This triggers the multiple carers (or ‘rival carers’) process. After some enquiries, Social Security Scotland find that Joe has never actually been regularly providing care for 35 hours per week. This means that the determination making his award was made as a result of incorrect information. This is a non-official error and has resulted in Joe being overpaid Carer Support Payment.
Where entitlement to Carer Support Payment ended because the eligibility criteria was not being met from a past date, and it has been overpaid because of an error on the part of the client, normal overpayment action should be taken. In this case the error was Joe’s failure to provide Social Security Scotland with correct information, and there is no official error.
Example 2: an official error in calculating earnings leading to an overpayment
Jennie applies for Carer Support Payment as an employed earner.
To assess if Jennie’s earnings are under the Carer Support Payment earnings threshold (£196 per week at 2025/26 rate) we use data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to calculate Jennie’s weekly earnings.
However, when calculating Jennie’s earnings, the client advisor forgets to include the extra £1,000 of monthly commission that Jennie receives. This information is not provided by HMRC, but Jennie has provided information to us separately about these additional earnings.
As a result, we incorrectly assess Jennie’s weekly earnings and mistakenly determine that Jennie is under the earnings threshold and therefore determine they are entitled to Carer Support Payment.
Having identified this error, a review of Jennie’s eligibility should be conducted, if there is no re-determination or appeal pending, a determination without application can be made of Jennie’s entitlement. If Jennie is not in fact entitled, their future payments of Carer Support Payment should be stopped and they should be notified of the reason. Jennie would then have rights to request a re-determination or appeal