Help for you as a carer

Most of this site is about the person you look after. This page is about you.

The one thing worth doing first

Ask your council for an Adult Carer Support Plan. It is free, it is not means-tested, and it does not depend on the person you care for agreeing to anything or being assessed themselves.

Under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, if you ask for one, your council must prepare it. The plan sets out what matters to you, what you need, and what support the council will provide to meet those needs — which can mean practical help at home, help with costs, or a break.

If the person you look after is under 18, or you are under 18 yourself, the equivalent is a Young Carer Statement.

Money you may be entitled to

Carer Support Payment

This is Scotland's main benefit for carers, paid by Social Security Scotland. It is for people who care for someone for a substantial number of hours each week, where the person they care for gets a qualifying disability benefit.

Carer Support Payment, including the current amount and who qualifies →

Carer's Allowance Supplement

An extra payment made twice a year to carers in Scotland who are getting Carer Support Payment. You do not apply for it separately — if you qualify on the relevant date, it is paid automatically.

Carer's Allowance Supplement →

Young Carer Grant

A yearly payment for young people in Scotland aged 16 to 18 who care for someone, without needing to be getting any other carer benefit.

Young Carer Grant →

Amounts change each April, so we do not print them here — the links above always show the current figure.

Getting a break

Every council in Scotland has to publish a short breaks services statement — a list of what is available locally for a carer and the person they care for to have time apart, or a holiday together with support.

A break is one of the things an Adult Carer Support Plan can arrange, so the two go together. Search for your council's name and "short breaks services statement", or ask when you request your plan.

If you cannot carry on

Carers get ill, go into hospital, and have emergencies of their own. Planning for that is not giving up — it is the sensible thing, and it is one of the things your plan is supposed to cover.

• Ask your council about an emergency or anticipatory care plan for the person you look after, so someone else knows what they need.
• If you are at crisis point today, call your council's social work team. Out of hours, every council has an emergency number.
• If you are struggling to cope, Samaritans are there day and night on 116 123.

If you're in North Ayrshire

We built a second, more detailed tool for one council area, because the local services and grants differ everywhere and a Scotland-wide page can only take you so far. CareCompass asks a few questions about the person you look after and gives you a checklist of what you may be able to claim in North Ayrshire — including the local ones this page does not cover, like the community alarm, Blue Badge and Time to Live short-break grants. It is free, needs no account, and does not store your answers.

Where to get help with a claim

You do not have to do the forms alone, and help is free.

• Care Information Scotland — free helpline and plain guidance on support for carers.
• Citizens Advice Scotland — free, independent help with benefit claims and appeals.
• Your local carers centre. Most council areas have one, and they do this every day. Search for your area and "carers centre".

Plain-language guidance, not legal or financial advice. Benefit rules change — always check the official pages linked above, or take advice.