Carer Support Payment for Kinship Carers in Scotland

What Carer Support Payment Is

Carer Support Payment (CSP) is Scotland's replacement for Carer's Allowance, administered by Social Security Scotland rather than the DWP. If you're a kinship carer providing at least 35 hours of care per week to a child who receives the middle or highest rate care component of Child Disability Payment (CDP), you may qualify.

The 2026–27 rate is £86.45 per week, plus the Scottish Carer Supplement adds another £11.70 per week (£608.40 annually) — a devolved top-up that doesn't exist in England or Wales.

CSP isn't just for carers of elderly relatives. If the kinship child in your care has a disability — a learning disability, a physical condition, severe behavioural needs, or a mental health condition — and they receive CDP at the qualifying rate, you can claim CSP for the care you provide.

Eligibility Requirements

The core care criteria for CSP are:

• You care for someone who gets CDP at the middle or highest rate care component
• You provide at least 35 hours of care per week — this is self-declared, not monitored with a timesheet

Social Security Scotland applies other eligibility rules, so check its current criteria before applying.

The 35-hour threshold trips up some kinship carers who think it only counts hands-on personal care. It doesn't — it includes supervision, keeping the child safe, managing medication, attending appointments, school runs, and the emotional support that comes with caring for a disabled child. For most kinship carers providing full-time care, 35 hours is easily reached.

How CSP Interacts With Your Other Benefits

This is where it gets complicated. CSP has a pound-for-pound deduction from Universal Credit — if you receive £86.45 per week in CSP, your UC award drops by the same amount. An eligible claimant can also receive the UC carer element (£209.34 per month in 2026–27). Get a benefit calculation to see how the two affect your total award.

If you receive Pension Credit, get a benefit calculation before claiming — the effect depends on your circumstances.

CSP does not reduce your council kinship allowance. Scottish Government guidance lists Carer Support Payment among the benefits protected from local authority deductions. Your council cannot offset it against the SRA.

Child Disability Payment: The Gateway Benefit

Your kinship child needs to be receiving Child Disability Payment before you can claim CSP. CDP replaced DLA for children in Scotland and is assessed by Social Security Scotland.

For 2026–27, the highest rate of CDP's care component is £114.60 per week. Only the middle and highest care rates qualify you for CSP.

If you think the child in your care might qualify — they need extra supervision, help with personal care, or have behaviour that requires someone watching them — you can apply for CDP through Social Security Scotland at mygov.scot or by calling 0800 182 2222. The assessment is based on the child's needs, not a medical diagnosis alone.

CDP is fully protected from council kinship allowance deductions, and it triggers the UC Disabled Child Addition (£156.11 per month, or £487.58 for the enhanced rate). Between CDP itself, the UC addition, and CSP if you qualify, a disabled kinship child's financial support package is substantially higher.

How to Apply for CSP

Apply through Social Security Scotland — online at mygov.scot, by phone (0800 182 2222), or by post. You'll need:

• Your National Insurance number
• Details of the person you care for (including their CDP reference number)
• Information about any paid work you do
• Your bank details

If you're currently receiving Carer's Allowance, contact Social Security Scotland to check what you need to do about your case.

The Bigger Financial Picture

CSP is one piece of a larger puzzle for kinship carers of disabled children. Our Scotland Kinship Financial Help Guide maps every payment a kinship carer can access, including the specific interactions between CDP, CSP, Universal Credit disability additions, and your council kinship allowance — with a deduction audit worksheet to verify your council is calculating everything correctly.

See more Scotland guides →