There are a number of benefits and grants that you or the person you are caring for may be eligible for. 

Carer’s Allowance

Carer’s Allowance is a benefit for people who are giving regular and substantial care to a disabled child or adult.  

You can usually get Carer’s Allowance if all of the following apply:

• you’re aged 16 or over
• you’re not in full time education
• you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a disabled person
• you don’t earn more than £132 a week from employment or self-employment – after deductions such as income tax, National Insurance and half of your pension contributions
• you’re not subject to immigration control that would stop you getting benefits

The person you’re caring for must get one of the following benefits, called ‘qualifying benefits’:

• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• the middle or highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• the middle or highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
• either rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• either rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

To make a claim for Carer’s Allowance you can:

• use the online  Carer’s Allowance service 
• download and print a Carer’s Allowance claim form, fill it in and send it by post to the Carers Allowance Team at DWP.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement

Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment for people in Scotland who get Carer’s Allowance. 

Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid 2 times a year.

The 2 rounds of payments in 2022 are:

• £245.70 from 10 June 2022 – you’ll get this payment if you were getting Carer’s Allowance on 11 April 2022
• £245.70 from December 2022 – you’ll get this payment if you are getting Carer’s Allowance on 10 October 2022

To find out more: https://www.mygov.scot/carers-allowance-supplement

Young Carer Grant

Young Carer Grant is a yearly payment of £326.65 made by Social Security Scotland for young carers in Scotland.

To be able to get Young Carer Grant, you must be 16, 17 or 18 years old.

You must also have been caring for 1, 2 or 3 people for an average of 16 hours a week for at least the last 3 months. If you care for more than one person, you can combine the hours of the people you care for to average 16 hours a week.

How you spend the Young Carer Grant is up to you. You could use it for things like new clothes, driving lessons or a holiday. You do not need to tell Social Security Scotland what you spend the money on.

To find out more about the Young Carer Grant and how to apply: 

https://www.mygov.scot/browse/benefits/young-carer

Child Winter Heating Assistance

Child Winter Heating Assistance is a benefit from the Scottish Government which helps disabled children and young people and their families with increased heating costs over winter.

It’s paid once a year. The payment for winter 2022-2023 is £214.10.

Payments are usually made from the end of November onwards.

You do not need to apply for this, as payments are made automatically if your child or young person is under 19 years old and getting one of the following ‘qualifying benefits’:

• the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
• the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children
• the enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
• the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment 

They must be getting this on at least one day in the third full week of September.

To find out more about the Child Winter Heating Assistance: https://www.mygov.scot/child-winter-heating-assistance

Child Disability Payment

Child Disability Payment replaces Child Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in Scotland and provides support for the extra costs that a disabled child might have.

You do not need to apply for Child Disability Payment if your child already gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children. 

From mid October 2021:

• cases will start to move to Child Disability Payment in stages
• you’ll get your payments from Social Security Scotland instead of the DWP

To find out more about the Child Disability Payments and how to apply: 

https://www.mygov.scot/child-disability-payment

Adult Disability Payment

Adult Disability Payment replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults in Scotland and is extra money to help you if you have a disability or long-term health condition that affects your everyday life.

You can apply for Adult Disability Payment if you have either a:

• disability or long-term physical or mental health condition
• terminal illness

You can still apply if you’re waiting for a diagnosis.

You need to be between 16 and State Pension age to apply.

You do not need to apply for Adult Disability Payment if you already get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance for adults from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Social Security Scotland will move your benefit to Adult Disability Payment without you having to do anything.

To find out more about the Adult Disability Payment :

https://www.mygov.scot/adult-disability-payment

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance helps with extra costs if someone is over State Pension Age and  has a health condition or disability severe enough that they need someone to help look after them. 

Attendance Allowance is paid weekly at 2 different rates – the one you get depends on the level of help you need.

Attendance Allowance is not means-tested – what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.

To find out more about Attendance Allowance and how to apply: https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance

Young Patient Family Fund

If you’re the parent, primary carer or sibling (aged under 18) of a young inpatient under the age of 18 receiving hospital care, you can claim for the costs of travel and food.

An inpatient is a patient who lives in hospital while having treatment. You cannot claim costs for outpatient visits through the scheme.

You must normally live in Scotland. You need to make the claim from the Young Patients Family Fund within 3 months of the young inpatient being discharged from hospital.

To find out more about the Young Patient Family Fund and how to apply: https://www.mygov.scot/young-patients-family-fund

Scottish Child Payment

Scottish Child Payment helps towards the costs of supporting your family. It’s a weekly payment of £20 that you can get for every child you look after who’s under 6 years of age. You’ll get the payment every 4 weeks if your application is successful.

It’s up to you what you choose to spend the money on.

You may be able to get Scottish Child Payment if all of the following apply:

• you live in Scotland
• you or your partner are getting certain benefits or payments
• you or your partner are the main person looking after a child who’s under 6 years old

To find out more about the Scottish Child Payment and how to apply: 

https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment

Pension Credit

Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income.

You may be eligible for Guaranteed Pension Credit if your weekly income is less than £182.60 if you are single, or £278.70 for couples.

If you qualify for Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as:

• Housing Benefit if you rent the property you live in
• Support for Mortgage Interest if you own the property you live in
• Council Tax discount
• Free TV licence if you are aged 75 or over
• Help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments
• Help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme
• A discount on the Royal Mail redirection service if you are moving house

To find out if you are eligible for Pension Credit and to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit  or call or call 0800 99 1234