A charity has called for a new devolved benefit to be paid to older unpaid carers receiving the State Pension after a new report found that 82 per cent of them said their role had a significant impact on their finances. The Carer Support Payment will replace Carer’s Allowance for new applicants in Scotland from the end of this year in a phased pilot scheme before a nationwide rollout begins in Spring 2024.
A total of 450 people took part in the ‘Experiences of Older Adult Unpaid Carers in Scotland’ study conducted by the Carers Trust Scotland to discover the challenges faced by older carers across the country. Currently, carers who are pensioners can claim Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), but they might not be entitled to the full amount of both benefits - even though State Pension is a contributory benefit which people pay into during their working life.
The Scottish Government has not yet confirmed if the new benefit, to be delivered by Social Security Scotland, will operate under the same rules. The report found that there was ‘anger and frustration’ from older adults no longer in receipt of Carer’s Allowance due to receiving a full State Pension with many feeling they are financially penalised due to their age.
