Thousands of unpaid carers to get £288 payment next month - see who is eligible

Carers in Scotland will be paid the £288 supplement next month

Thousands of unpaid carers claiming Carer’s Allowance will receive an extra payment worth £288 next month

Carer’s Allowance is a benefit which is paid to people who provide care for someone else. To claim it, you need to be caring for someone for at least 35 hours a week – this can include helping them with everyday tasks such as washing, managing bills, or taking them to doctor’s appointments. It’s currently worth £81.90 a week or £327 every four weeks.

The benefit is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) but in Scotland, they also have the Carer’s Support Payment which is managed and paid by Social Security Scotland. According to data from Social Security Scotland, around 80,000 people are claiming the carers benefit in the country.

The rules of this benefit and the payment rates are the same however carers based in Scotland also receive another two payments called “Carer’s Allowance Supplements”. These are two payments worth £288.60 and are set to be paid in June and December of this year.

This means Scotland-based carers – who receive Carer’s Allowance or Sarer’s Support Payment – will receive a payment next month. According to Social Security Scotland’s website, the payment will be made to those who were claiming the benefit on April 8 this year. It has not confirmed the exact date the payment will be made. The second winter payment will be given to those who are claiming a carer’s benefit on October 7. The cash will be paid automatically to those who claim so they do not need to apply for the supplement payment. It will also be paid directly into the bank account where your benefit is usually paid.

Carer’s Allowance has made the headlines recently after nearly 35,000 claimants faced fines and were forced to repay their benefits after earning more than the working threshold. Under the current rules for Carer’s Allowance, while claiming you can only earn £151 a week after tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and allowable expenses. If your earnings go over the limit – even by just 1p – you lose your entire entitlement.

If you are paid Carer’s Allowance weekly, and you go over the earnings limit, you lose your entitlement for the following week. When you are paid monthly, you lose your Carer’s Allowance for the following month. Charities have heavily criticised the policy as a “cliff edge” tactic with the DWP being accused of using “threatening and cruel” tactics against carers even if the mistakes were honest and genuine. Some carers have been forced to repay over £20,000 due to the DWP not flagging the carer’s earning limit sooner.

Have you been forced to repay Carer’s Allowance? Let us know: [email protected]