Only in Scotland, will unpaid carers will receive another additional payment of more than £230 through our Carer’s Allowance Supplement this winter.
This additional payment means that this year carers in Scotland will get £694.20 more in support than carers in the rest of the UK.
Recognising the additional pressures unpaid carers face as a result of the pandemic, the December payment of the Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be doubled to £462.80, benefitting more than 91,000 people.
This extra investment, forecast to be £21 million, will be the second time the SNP Government has doubled a Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment.
The Carer’s Allowance Supplement (Scotland) Bill, which was passed unanimously, will also give Ministers powers to provide eligible carers with additional financial support in future if the need arises.
Kenneth Gibson MSP said:
“The SNP Government introduced the Carer’s Allowance Supplement in September 2018 to address the fact that Tory Government’s Carer’s Allowance was the lowest of all working age benefits.
“The £230 payment is in addition to the Carers Allowance in recognition of the role carers play in society.
“The SNP Government also made a double payment last year, investing over £120 million from the Scottish budget over the last two years on something the UK Tory Government falls short on.
“The Carer’s Allowance Supplement is unique in the UK and is one of seven new benefits introduced by the SNP Government.”
The Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid twice a year to carers who are living in Scotland and receive Carer’s Allowance, paid by the Department for Work and Pensions, on specified qualifying dates. The qualifying date for the December 2021 double payment is 11 October 2021.
ENDS
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