Mental Health and Benefits Handbook 1st edition - with new materialPart 2: Benefits Chapter 13: Carers' benefits
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Chapter 13: Carers’ benefits
Key facts
    •Many different kinds of care, support and assistance can be considered when deciding whether you are a carer for benefit purposes. You do not need to be a professional carer, a relative, or live with the person you are supporting.
    •The main carer benefit is carer’s allowance (CA). This is a non-means-tested benefit but you cannot get it if you earn more than £139 a week.
    •Being a carer can increase the amount of means-tested benefits (eg, universal credit or pension credit) that you receive.
    •There are different rules about carer benefits in Scotland, including about the amounts you are paid, with significant changes planned for 2024.
    •Before claiming carer benefits, it is important to check how they will affect any other benefits that you and the person you are supporting get.
1. Who is a carer
The term ‘carer’ means different things in different contexts.
    •Paid carer: also called a ‘care worker’. This means that you are paid to care for people. You are likely to care for people you do not know personally, possibly in a place such as a care home. You are not normally entitled to claim carer benefits.
    •Unpaid carer: this is when you care for a friend or relative but are not paid to do so. You might care for this person most of the time or you might only do this occasionally. You do not need to live with someone, or be related to them, in order to count as a carer.
    •Carer for benefits purposes: if your caring role meets certain criteria (see here), you may be able to claim the carers’ benefits mentioned in this chapter.
What is ‘caring’
People often think of caring as having to do physical and practical tasks for someone. However, caring can also include other types of support that are more to do with emotional needs and mental barriers.
These might include the following.
    •Keeping someone company or supervising them to keep them safe from harm.
    •Helping them to go out, and/or to take part in social activities.
    •Providing emotional support when they need it.
    •Helping them to cook and clean.
    •Prompting and encouraging them to dress, wash or eat.
    •Helping someone seek help for their mental health problem, including reminding them to take medication, helping them make GP appointments, or attending appointments with them.
    •Advocating for them when they interact with other services, like banks, schools or the DWP 1The Department for Work and Pensions. A central government department that pays many benefits in Great Britain..
    •Shopping for them or with them.
    •Helping with benefits, bills and budgeting.
You might feel that these actions are not ‘caring’ but are just an essential part of your relationship, particularly if the person you are supporting is your child, partner or another close relative. This might mean that you do not think of or describe yourself as a carer. However, you can still be seen as a carer in this situation for benefit purposes, and can still qualify for carers’ benefits if you meet the criteria set out later in this chapter.
Carers with a health condition or disability
You can be a carer and qualify for carer benefits even if you have health problems or care needs of your own. Many people are in this situation.
You might want to seek advice before claiming carer benefits if you also claim health- or disability-related benefits for yourself. Tasks you do as a carer are likely to be considered when you have a benefit assessment and could potentially affect your entitlement. This depends on the kinds of difficulties you have and the kinds of help you are giving to someone else. For example, if you have difficulty with walking because of a physical health condition, this would have no bearing on your ability to offer emotional support and budgeting assistance to somebody else.
What advisers say: disabled carers
‘It can betray a lack of disability awareness to be puzzled at the idea that someone with disabilities can also be an active carer.’
‘In many couples, for example, each partner plays to their own strengths to get things done, working as a team, with both claiming disability benefits and carers’ benefits.’
2. Where to start with carers’ benefits
Before claiming any carers’ benefits it is a good idea to get independent advice because some carers’ benefits can affect your other benefits or the benefits of the person you are supporting. See advicelocal.uk for details of advice services in your area.
    •As a carer looking for financial support, you often start by claiming carer’s allowance (CA). This is the main carers’ benefit. There are rules about how much you can earn and study while getting it, how many hours of caring you must do to qualify, and the disability benefits that the person you look after must be getting (see here).
    •If you live in Scotland, are aged 16–18, and cannot get carer’s allowance (eg, because of full-time education), you may be able to claim a young carer grant instead (see here). In some situations, you can claim both.
    •If you get universal credit (UC), you can declare your caring responsibilities in order to receive the carer element of UC (see here). The eligibility criteria are broadly the same as for CA, but unlike CA, there is no earnings limit for the UC carer element. If you are eligible for both, it generally makes sense to apply for CA and get the UC carer element. Although CA reduces your UC pound for pound, there are advantages to having CA ‘in the background’, such as retaining some income during gaps in UC eligibility. It is particularly advantageous in Scotland, where getting CA can mean that you also get extra carer’s allowance supplement payments which are disregarded as income for UC (see here).
    •If you get a means-tested benefit other than UC (eg, pension credit or income-related employment and support allowance) and are entitled to CA, you can get a carer premium or addition (see here).
    •While getting CA you receive national insurance (NI) credits.1Reg 7A SS(Cr) Regs; regs 26 and 29 SP Regs If you care for someone who gets a ‘qualifying’ disability benefit, but do not provide care for enough hours to make you eligible for CA, you may still be able to apply for NI credits as a carer. The same might apply if you have recently finished, or will soon start, qualifying for CA.2s23A(2) and (3)(c) SSCBA 1992; regs 5(1)(b)-(c) and 7 SS(CCPC) Regs; regs 27, 37(1) and (2)(a)-(b) and 38(1)(a)-(c) and (2) SP Regs Before applying, check that you do not already get sufficient NI credits from another source.
    •Beyond the benefits system, there is other support available for carers (see here).
Example
Lianne (24) has a long-term mental health problem. Her working-age parents, Mai and Ahmed, provide day-to-day care for Lianne between them. Mai and Ahmed both work and they do not currently get any benefits. They want advice about claiming carers’ benefits. Their advice worker talks them through the different types of benefit and their eligibility conditions. They discuss which member of the couple – if either – would be best placed to claim. They also check whether claiming a carers’ benefit(s) will affect Lianne’s own benefits.
 
1     Reg 7A SS(Cr) Regs; regs 26 and 29 SP Regs »
2     s23A(2) and (3)(c) SSCBA 1992; regs 5(1)(b)-(c) and 7 SS(CCPC) Regs; regs 27, 37(1) and (2)(a)-(b) and 38(1)(a)-(c) and (2) SP Regs »
3. Carer’s allowance
Who can get carer’s allowance
You qualify for carer’s allowance (CA) if you satisfy the following conditions.1s70 SSCBA 1992; regs 4-9 SS(ICA) Regs
Note:
    •Special rules can apply if you are in hospital and in certain other situations (see Chapter 18).
    •If you live in Scotland, see here.
 
1     s70 SSCBA 1992; regs 4-9 SS(ICA) Regs »
You must be caring for someone for 35 hours a week or more
You do not have to live with this person or be related to them. Caring can include supervision as well as assistance. It usually covers activities that you do in the person’s presence, but might also include some time spent on tasks like shopping for them, ‘organising [their] affairs’, preparing for them to come to stay with you or clearing up after they visit.1Reg 4(1) SS(ICA) Regs; CG/6/90 See here for more about what ‘caring’ can mean.
So long as you care for 35 hours a week, it does not matter if these hours are not spread evenly throughout the week – eg, you might provide all 35 hours of care at the weekend. However, you cannot average out the hours if you provide care for more than 35 hours in some weeks and fewer than 35 in others.2R(G) 3/91 In some circumstances, you can take a temporary break from caring and continue to qualify for CA.3Reg 4(2) SS(ICA) Regs
Note: only one person can qualify for CA for caring for the same person. If you cannot agree on who this should be, the DWP decides. If you care for two or more people at the same time, you can only get CA for supporting one of them.4s70(7) SSCBA 1992; reg 4(1A) SS(ICA) Regs
 
1     Reg 4(1) SS(ICA) Regs; CG/6/90 »
2     R(G) 3/91 »
3     Reg 4(2) SS(ICA) Regs »
4     s70(7) SSCBA 1992; reg 4(1A) SS(ICA) Regs »
The person you care for must get a qualifying benefit
This means they get either attendance allowance (AA), the highest or middle rate of the care component 1Part of disability living allowance and child disability payment paid if someone needs supervision or assistance because of a disability or health condition. of disability living allowance (DLA) or child disability payment (CDP), either rate of the daily living component 2Part of personal independence payment and adult disability payment paid if someone has difficulties with certain daily living activities. of personal independence payment (PIP) or adult disability payment (ADP), armed forces independence payment or constant attendance allowance of £83.10 a week or more paid with an industrial injuries benefit or war disablement pension.1s70(2) SSCBA 1992
CA stops if the PIP, ADP, DLA, CDP or AA of the person for whom you are caring stops because they are in hospital or a similar institution (see here).2SSWP v Pridding [2002] EWCA Civ 306
If the person you are caring for has claimed a disability benefit but has not yet had a decision (or is appealing a refusal), you cannot claim CA yet but may be able to make a backdated 3When you can get a benefit from a date before the date on which you actually claimed it. Not to be confused with getting arrears of benefit – eg, after winning an appeal. claim once they have a decision awarding them benefit (see here).
 
1     s70(2) SSCBA 1992 »
2     SSWP v Pridding [2002] EWCA Civ 306 »
You must earn no more than £139 a week
This includes net earnings from employment1Reg 8 SS(ICA) Regs; regs 2(1), 9 and 10(4) SSB(CE) Regs; CIS/521/1990; R(IS) 9/95; CIS/743/1992; Minter v Kingston Upon Hull CC and Potter v SSWP [2011] EWCA Civ 1155 and net profits from self-employment.2Reg 8 SS(ICA) Regs; regs 11(2), 13 and 14 SSB(CE) Regs; R(IS) 13/91; R(FC) 1/91; CTC/26/1989
Note:
    •If your employment ends before you claim CA, your final earnings generally do not affect your CA entitlement.3Sch 1 para 12 SSB(CE) Regs
    •If your earnings from employment fluctuate, your weekly earnings may be calculated as an average.4Reg 8(3) SSB(CE) Regs; CG/4941/2003; KR v SSWP (CA) [2023] UKUT 202 (AAC) If you are self-employed, your weekly earnings are usually averaged over a year.5Regs 4(1) and (3), 11(1) and 12(1) SSB(CE) Regs and R(IB) 7/03, disapplying reg 4(2) of these Regs
    •When calculating earnings from employment or self-employment, the cost of paying someone else to look after the person you care for (or to look after a child under 16 for whom you are getting child benefit), up to a maximum amount, can often be deducted from your earnings figure.6Regs 10(3) and 13(3) and Sch 3 SSB(CE) Regs
    •There are some other amounts that can be disregarded from your earnings – eg, income tax refunds or a loan/advance from an employer.7Sch 1 SSB(CE) Regs
 
1     Reg 8 SS(ICA) Regs; regs 2(1), 9 and 10(4) SSB(CE) Regs; CIS/521/1990; R(IS) 9/95; CIS/743/1992; Minter v Kingston Upon Hull CC and Potter v SSWP [2011] EWCA Civ 1155 »
2     Reg 8 SS(ICA) Regs; regs 11(2), 13 and 14 SSB(CE) Regs; R(IS) 13/91; R(FC) 1/91; CTC/26/1989 »
3     Sch 1 para 12 SSB(CE) Regs »
4     Reg 8(3) SSB(CE) Regs; CG/4941/2003; KR v SSWP (CA) [2023] UKUT 202 (AAC) »
5     Regs 4(1) and (3), 11(1) and 12(1) SSB(CE) Regs and R(IB) 7/03, disapplying reg 4(2) of these Regs »
6     Regs 10(3) and 13(3) and Sch 3 SSB(CE) Regs »
7     Sch 1 SSB(CE) Regs »
You must not be in full-time education
Usually, you are regarded as being in full-time education and cannot get CA if:1Reg 5 SS(ICA) Regs; SSWP v Deane [2010] EWCA Civ 699
    •the course you are attending is described as full-time by your university, college or school; or
    •you are attending the course for 21 hours a week or more.
You are treated as still being in full-time education during vacations and any temporary interruption of the course, but not if you have agreed a non-temporary absence such as a whole year out of your course.2SM v SSWP [2016] UKUT 406 (AAC)
If you are classed as being in part-time education under these rules, you can get CA.
 
1     Reg 5 SS(ICA) Regs; SSWP v Deane [2010] EWCA Civ 699 »
2     SM v SSWP [2016] UKUT 406 (AAC) »
You must be over compulsory school age
In England and Wales, you can claim CA from the last Friday in June if you will have turned 16 by the end of the summer holidays. In Scotland, it is either 31 May or the first day of the Christmas holidays depending when your birthday falls.1s70(3) SSCBA 1992, read together with SSWP v BC (CA) [2023] UKUT 10 (AAC). See gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school (If you are aged 16 to 18 and live in Scotland, you may be able to get a young carer grant – see here.)
There is no upper age limit for CA. However, because of the overlapping benefit rules, if you receive state pension you may not be paid CA even if you qualify (see here). Even if you are not paid CA, your ‘underlying entitlement’ may mean that you get a carer element in your universal credit (UC - see here) or a carer premium or carer addition in your other means-tested benefit (see here).
 
1     s70(3) SSCBA 1992, read together with SSWP v BC (CA) [2023] UKUT 10 (AAC). See gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school »
You must meet the immigration and residence conditions
You cannot get CA if you are a person subject to immigration control 1Someone who requires leave to enter or remain in the UK but does not have it, or who has leave to remain but is prohibited from having recourse to public funds, or has leave to remain in the UK on the basis of a sponsorship agreement. or if you do not satisfy the residence conditions. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for more information.
The amount of benefit and getting paid
CA is paid at a weekly rate of £76.75.1Sch 4 SSCBA 1992 You are paid weekly in advance or four-weekly in arrears, usually on a Monday.2Reg 22(1) and (3) and Sch 6 SS(C&P) Regs
If you live in Scotland and get CA, you are also entitled to a carer’s allowance supplement.3s81 SS(S)A 2018 This is paid in two lump-sum payments each year. The payments in 2023 are £270.50 each and will be made in June (to those who were getting CA on the qualifying date of 10 April) and December (to those who were getting CA on 9 October). Social Security Scotland 1A Scottish government department that pays many devolved benefits in Scotland. pays these automatically using information shared by the DWP. Carer’s allowance supplement is disregarded as income for means-tested benefits and tax credits.
If you live in Wales, you may be eligible for a grant from the Carers Support Fund Wales to top up your CA - see carers.org/around-the-uk-our-work-in-wales/carers-support-fund-wales-programme.
 
1     Sch 4 SSCBA 1992 »
2     Reg 22(1) and (3) and Sch 6 SS(C&P) Regs »
3     s81 SS(S)A 2018 »
Making a claim
You can claim CA online at gov.uk/carers-allowance or on paper form DS700 (DS700(SP) if you get a state pension). You can download a paper form from gov.uk or request one by calling the Carer’s Allowance Unit (0800 731 0297; textphone: 0800 731 0317; Relay UK and British Sign Language (BSL) video relay services are available).
Note: before claiming, you should be aware of how CA affects your entitlement to means-tested benefits and the means-tested benefit entitlement of the person you care for (see here).
Additional support
If you have (or will have) difficulty with the claims process and need additional support, see Chapter 20.
Claiming in advance and backdating
You can claim CA in advance, up to three months before you qualify.1Reg 13 SS(C&P) Regs
A claim for CA can usually only be backdated 1When you can get a benefit from a date before the date on which you actually claimed it. Not to be confused with getting arrears of benefit – eg, after winning an appeal. for a maximum of three months.2Reg 19 SS(C&P) Regs
It can sometimes be backdated further.3Reg 6(16)-(22), (33) and (34) SS(C&P) Regs
    •If you claim CA within three months of a decision (including a tribunal decision) to award a qualifying benefit 2In general, any benefit which gives you entitlement to another benefit, or makes another benefit payable at a higher rate. to the person you are caring for, your CA is usually backdated to the first day of the benefit week in which the qualifying benefit is payable.
    •If your CA stopped because the person you care for had their qualifying benefit reduced or stopped, and you make a further claim within three months of the decision to reinstate/resume payment of the qualifying benefit, your CA is backdated to the date your last CA award ended or the date from when the qualifying benefit was re-awarded/resumed in payment, whichever is later.
Note: the term ‘backdating’ is often informally used to mean getting arrears of your benefit going back to a claim or decision date – eg, after winning an appeal. However, in this Handbook, we use backdating to mean getting paid benefit for a period before the date you claimed.
 
1     Reg 13 SS(C&P) Regs »
2     Reg 19 SS(C&P) Regs »
3     Reg 6(16)-(22), (33) and (34) SS(C&P) Regs »
Decisions and changes of circumstances
CA awards are usually made for an indefinite period.1Reg 17 SS(C&P) Regs Once you are awarded CA, you should report all changes in your circumstances to the Carer’s Allowance Unit as soon as possible. Do not assume that the Carer’s Allowance Unit already knows something – eg, about changes to your income or to the qualifying benefit 1In general, any benefit which gives you entitlement to another benefit, or makes another benefit payable at a higher rate. of the person you care for. You can report a change by telephone, letter or at gov.uk/carers-allowance.2Reg 32ZA SS(C&P) Regs It can be preferable to report a change in writing so that there is a clear record of what you have said and when.
 
1     Reg 17 SS(C&P) Regs »
2     Reg 32ZA SS(C&P) Regs »
Carer’s allowance and other benefits
Means-tested benefits and tax credits
If you are entitled to CA and a means-tested benefit:
    •your CA (but not carer’s allowance supplement in Scotland) is taken into account as income and reduces your benefit pound for pound. It is still generally worth claiming CA alongside UC (see here);
    •you may get a carer element included in your UC (see here) or a carer premium or carer addition included in your other means-tested benefit (see here);
    •you do not have any work-related requirements 1Activities connected with finding or preparing for work that some people must undertake to receive universal credit or employment and support allowance. (see Chapter 17).1s19(2)(b) WRA 2012
If the person you care for gets a means-tested benefit that includes a severe disability premium/addition (see here), that premium/addition is removed if you get CA for looking after them. It is usually a good idea to get independent advice before claiming CA – see advicelocal.uk.
 
1     s19(2)(b) WRA 2012 »
Non-means-tested benefits
You can get CA alongside disability benefits such as PIP, ADP, DLA, CDP and AA. CA does not affect the amount of the disability benefit and vice versa. However, any tasks you do as a carer are likely to be taken into account when you are assessed for a disability benefit and might affect your future entitlement (see here).
There are other non-means-tested benefits 1Benefits paid regardless of the amount of someone’s income or capital such as savings. that CA overlaps with, meaning you cannot be paid both in full – eg, contributory employment and support allowance (ESA) or state pension). If you have claimed CA successfully but are not paid it because of these overlapping benefit rules, you are often said to have an ‘underlying entitlement’ to CA.
The benefit cap
In some cases, there is a limit on the total amount of specified benefits you can receive (the ‘benefit cap’). The benefit cap does not apply if you or your partner get CA or have an ‘underlying entitlement’ to it under the overlapping benefit rules above.
Example
Mai and Ahmed (see here) decide that Ahmed will claim CA. Ahmed cares for their daughter Lianne for a total of 35 hours per week, and Lianne gets the standard rate of the PIP daily living component, which is a qualifying benefit. Ahmed works 12 hours a week at £11 an hour, so his earnings are below the CA earnings limit. He is above compulsory school age, not in full-time education and meets the immigration and residence conditions. Lianne gets income-related ESA without a severe disability premium so her benefit amounts are not affected if someone claims CA for supporting her (see here).
Although Mai cares for Lianne for at least as many hours as Ahmed, she does not currently qualify for CA because her earnings are more than £139 a week. The couple may decide to seek further advice next year when Ahmed starts getting his state pension, as this will ‘overlap’ with CA and likely stop it being paid (see here).
The couple consider making a claim for UC with a carer element (see here) but learn that they are not eligible because their savings are above the UC capital limit.
Future changes in Scotland
A new Social Security Scotland 1A Scottish government department that pays many devolved benefits in Scotland. benefit called ‘carer support payment’ will replace CA for new claims in some areas of Scotland by the end of 2023, and across Scotland in 2024.1Scottish parliament, Official Report, 7 February 2023, col 39; The Carer’s Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Draft Regulations 2023 The Scottish government also plans to make increased payments to CA claimants caring for more than one disabled child.
 
1     Scottish parliament, Official Report, 7 February 2023, col 39; The Carer’s Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Draft Regulations 2023 »
4. Carer element of universal credit
A carer element of £185.86 a month is included in your maximum amount of universal credit (UC – see here) if:1Regs 29 and 30 UC Regs
    •you are an unpaid carer; and
    •you satisfy the eligibility conditions for carer’s allowance (CA - see here–here); or
    •you would satisfy the CA eligibility conditions but for the fact that your earnings are too high.
You do not ‘claim’ a carer element - it should be included in your UC calculation when you have declared your caring responsibilities. You might need to prompt the DWP to add the carer element, and check that it has been added from the correct assessment period. Get independent advice if you are not sure – see advicelocal.uk.
You do not need to have claimed CA to get a carer element of UC. If you get both CA and UC, your UC is reduced pound for pound by your CA. There can still be good reasons for claiming CA while getting UC (see here).
If you get the carer element of UC, you do not usually have any work-related requirements 1Activities connected with finding or preparing for work that some people must undertake to receive universal credit or employment and support allowance. (see Chapter 17).2s19(2)(b) WRA 2012; reg 89(1)(b) UC Regs At the same time, there is no fixed limit on how much you can work or earn while getting a carer element of UC (unlike CA).
You cannot get the carer element at the same time as you are getting the limited capability for work or limited capability for work-related activity element of UC (the LCW/LCWRA element – see here and here). You are paid the element with the higher value. If you claim UC with a partner, one of you can get the carer element while the other gets the LCW/LCWRA element.3Reg 29(4) UC Regs
Getting a new carer element in your UC could erode a transitional severe disability premium element (see here) or transitional protection element (see here).
If you are claiming UC as a single person, only one carer element can be included, even if you care for more than one person. If you are making a joint UC claim, you can get two carer elements if both you and your partner are carers who meet the conditions, provided you are not caring for the same person. If you are both caring for the same person, you get one carer element. Similarly, if someone other than your partner is caring for the same person, only one of you can get the carer element of UC.4s70(7) SSCBA 1992; reg 29(2) and (3) UC Regs
Note: if the person you care for gets a means-tested benefit that includes a severe disability premium/addition (see here), that premium/addition will be removed if you get the carer element of UC for looking after them. Bear in mind that the severe disability premium/addition is worth more than the carer element of UC. It is usually a good idea to get independent advice before declaring your entitlement to a carer element – see advicelocal.uk.
Example
Gina claims UC after stopping work to become a full-time carer for her son Solomon. Solomon has a mental health condition and receives the middle rate of the care component of child disability payment (CDP). Gina meets all the eligibility conditions to get a carer element in her UC. However, this is not included in her UC award automatically. Gina challenges this by asking for a mandatory reconsideration (see here) and succeeds in having the carer element added from her first assessment period.
Gina initially does not claim CA, because she understands this is not necessary for her to get the carer element in her UC, and has been told that CA would reduce her UC pound for pound so she would be financially no better off. Her advice worker explains that because Gina lives in Scotland, claiming CA would entitle her to an additional carer’s allowance supplement (see here) which is disregarded as income for UC – in other words, she will be significantly better off if she claims CA as well as UC. This is on top of the practical benefits of having CA ‘in the background’ (see here).
 
1     Regs 29 and 30 UC Regs »
2     s19(2)(b) WRA 2012; reg 89(1)(b) UC Regs »
3     Reg 29(4) UC Regs »
4     s70(7) SSCBA 1992; reg 29(2) and (3) UC Regs »
5. Carer premium and carer addition
If you get a means-tested benefit other than universal credit, and you or your partner are entitled to carer’s allowance (CA - see here), you can qualify for an extra amount in your means-tested benefit. This is known as a carer premium, or as a carer addition for pension credit.1IS Sch 2 paras 7 and 14ZA IS Regs
JSA Sch 1 paras 8, 17 and 20J JSA Regs
ESA Sch 4 para 8 ESA Regs
PC Reg 6(6)(a) and Sch 1 para 4 SPC Regs
HB Sch 3 paras 7 and 17 HB Regs; Sch 3 paras 5 and 9 HB(SPC) Regs
The premium/addition is worth £42.75 a week, or £85.50 if both you and your partner get CA. To see how the premium/addition affects the calculation of your benefit, see here for housing benefit, here for pension credit and here for income-related employment and support allowance. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for other benefits.
You do not ‘claim’ the premium/addition but should notify the relevant means-tested benefit office that you are entitled to CA. You can get a carer premium/addition if you have an ‘underlying entitlement’ to CA but do not get payments of CA because of the overlapping benefit rules (see here).
 
1     IS Sch 2 paras 7 and 14ZA IS Regs
JSA Sch 1 paras 8, 17 and 20J JSA Regs
ESA Sch 4 para 8 ESA Regs
PC Reg 6(6)(a) and Sch 1 para 4 SPC Regs
HB Sch 3 paras 7 and 17 HB Regs; Sch 3 paras 5 and 9 HB(SPC) Regs
 »
6. Young carer grant in Scotland
Who can get a young carer grant
A young carer grant is a single annual payment of £359.65 which can be claimed by some unpaid carers aged 16–18 living in Scotland. You can qualify for a young carer grant if you care for one or more people who get a qualifying disability benefit throughout the 13-week period before you claim (the qualifying benefits are the same as for carer’s allowance (CA) – see here). You must care for sufficient hours during this 13-week period: a total of at least 208 hours of caring, spread over at least 10 of the 13 weeks. You can add together hours of care you provide for up to three people so long as they each get a qualifying benefit 1In general, any benefit which gives you entitlement to another benefit, or makes another benefit payable at a higher rate..
You are not generally able to get a young carer grant if you are entitled to CA, but may be able to get both by timing your claims carefully (see here). There are also immigration and residence conditions for getting a young carer grant. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for more details.1s28 and Sch 2 SS(S)A 2018; Part 2 and reg 12(1) CA(YCG)(S) Regs; Sch para 15 DACYP(S) Regs
Note:
    •If the person you care for claimed a disability benefit more than 13 weeks ago and has not yet been awarded it, you can still claim a young carer grant. Your claim will be refused now, but if the disability benefit is later awarded, you may be able to get the young carer grant for the date when you claimed.2Reg 11 CA(YCG)(S) Regs; Social Security Scotland, Eligibility for Young Carer Grant, 13 November 2020, available at socialsecurity.gov.scot/guidance-resources/guidance/eligibility-for-young-carer-grant
    •If someone else has received a young carer grant in respect of a person you care for within one year before the date of your claim, you cannot usually get a young carer grant for caring for that person.3Regs 7(4) and (5) and 10 CA(YCG)(S) Regs However, it does not matter if someone else gets CA or the carer element of universal credit (UC) for supporting someone that you care for - you can still get a young carer grant.
What counts as ‘care’ for the young carer grant
The care you provide must involve activity that promotes the physical, mental or emotional wellbeing of the person you care for. Guidance suggests that this could include activities such as helping with personal care, dealing with bills, shopping or keeping someone company.4Reg 5(3) CA(YCG)(S) Regs; Social Security Scotland, Eligibility for Young Carer Grant, 13 November 2020, available at socialsecurity.gov.scot/guidance-resources/guidance/eligibility-for-young-carer-grant You must not be getting paid for the care or doing it as voluntary work. See here for more about what ‘caring’ can mean.
 
1     s28 and Sch 2 SS(S)A 2018; Part 2 and reg 12(1) CA(YCG)(S) Regs; Sch para 15 DACYP(S) Regs »
2     Reg 11 CA(YCG)(S) Regs; Social Security Scotland, Eligibility for Young Carer Grant, 13 November 2020, available at socialsecurity.gov.scot/guidance-resources/guidance/eligibility-for-young-carer-grant »
3     Regs 7(4) and (5) and 10 CA(YCG)(S) Regs »
4     Reg 5(3) CA(YCG)(S) Regs; Social Security Scotland, Eligibility for Young Carer Grant, 13 November 2020, available at socialsecurity.gov.scot/guidance-resources/guidance/eligibility-for-young-carer-grant »
Making a claim
You can claim a young carer grant:
You can get a young carer grant once a year. If you have previously received a young carer grant, claim again one year after the date of your last claim.1Reg 7(3) and (6) CA(YCG)(S) Regs
 
1     Reg 7(3) and (6) CA(YCG)(S) Regs »
Young carer grant and other benefits
You cannot qualify for a young carer grant if you are entitled to CA on the date of your claim, or if you have claimed CA, unless your claim has been refused.1Reg 7(1) and (2) CA(YCG)(S) Regs However, you may be able to claim both if you meet the conditions for both and time your claims carefully. Usually, you should claim a young carer grant first. As soon as you are awarded it, you can immediately claim CA and request backdating. It does not matter if you are later awarded CA for the date of your young carer grant claim. However, if your young carer grant takes a long time to be awarded, then in some situations you may lose out by taking this approach. Seek advice if you are unsure – see advicelocal.uk.
Note:
    •A young carer grant does not count towards the benefit cap 1The maximum yearly amount of benefits that someone can receive. Not all benefits are included and not all people are affected.
and does not count as income or capital 2This includes (but is not limited to) savings, shares, certain lump-sum payments and most property that is not a person’s main home. for means-tested benefits.2UC Sch 10 para 23 UC Regs (but note that a young carer grant counts as capital if it is not spent within 52 weeks of receiving it)
ESA Sch 9 para 65 ESA Regs
HB Sch 6 para 67 HB Regs; reg 29(1)(j)(xviif) and Sch 6 paras 21(2)(u) and 26J HB(SPC) Regs
PC Reg 15(1)(re) and Sch 5 para 20(2)(v) SPC Regs
    •If you are a young carer living in Scotland, you can get a package of support (whether or not you can get a young carer grant) from Young Scot. There is more information at young.scot. You may also be able to get help, support and services from your local authority – ask for a young carer’s assessment.
 
1     Reg 7(1) and (2) CA(YCG)(S) Regs »
2     UC Sch 10 para 23 UC Regs (but note that a young carer grant counts as capital if it is not spent within 52 weeks of receiving it)
ESA Sch 9 para 65 ESA Regs
HB Sch 6 para 67 HB Regs; reg 29(1)(j)(xviif) and Sch 6 paras 21(2)(u) and 26J HB(SPC) Regs
PC Reg 15(1)(re) and Sch 5 para 20(2)(v) SPC Regs
 »
7. Other support for carers
Not all unpaid carers are eligible for carers’ benefits. You might not care for the person enough hours in the week to qualify, or you might be earning too much money in another job. This does not mean there is no support available. You might also need these extra forms of support if you are a carer and have a health condition or disability yourself. Note: Chapter 14 has information about other financial support.
Carer’s assessment from social services
Anyone caring for another person can ask to have a carer’s assessment completed by their local social services. The assessment considers what support the local authority can offer you - eg, respite care (see below), financial help, or putting you in touch with local support networks for carers. You can request an assessment by contacting your local authority’s child or adult social services department (depending on the age of the person you care for).
Respite care
Respite care is when you get a break from caring. This could be in the form of a holiday, a short stay for the person you are caring for in a place like a care home or day centre, or getting a replacement carer for a short amount of time. If you care for someone regularly you may be entitled to some forms of respite care whether or not you get a carers’ benefit. It is available from your local authority and some charities. You need to have a carer’s assessment from your local authority to know if you are eligible (see above).1rethink.org/advice-and-information/carers-hub/respite-care-breaks-for-carers Rethink Mental Illness has more information on its website: rethink.org/advice-and-information/carers-hub/respite-care-breaks-for-carers.
 
1     rethink.org/advice-and-information/carers-hub/respite-care-breaks-for-carers »
Flexibility at work
Many workers have statutory rights to request flexible working and have time off in emergencies involving a dependant. Your workplace might also have additional benefits for carers, such as carer’s leave. Carers UK provides information on working rights for carers at carersuk.org/help-and-advice/work-and-career/your-rights-in-work.
Emotional support
National and local charities for carers run support groups, online forums and may have other practical support available for unpaid carers. They are there to support your wellbeing as a carer. You can find information about these from Carers UK online at carersuk.org/help-and-advice.