The Scottish Government is working towards delivering a new benefit that will start to replace Carer’s Allowance before the end of this year, with a full national rollout planned for Spring 2024, according to a recent progress report on the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.
Scottish Carer's Assistance promises to provide an ‘improved service’, designed with carers to meet their needs, and in line with Scottish Government principles of fairness, dignity and respect. The new benefit will maintain the extra support provided by Carer's Allowance Supplement - two additional payments of £245.70 which are due to be made in June and December this year - to increase Carer's Allowance (£76.75 per week) by over 13 per cent, and will help to link carers to wider support and services.
A public consultation on Scottish Carer's Assistance, launched in February 2022, proposes providing additional support as part of the new benefit to those caring for more than one person, in the form of a new payment worth £520 per year - currently known as Carer's Additional Person Payment - to ‘recognise the impact of multiple caring roles’.
