Benefit Sums

Carer Support Payment calculator for Scotland

For carers living in Scotland. Enter your pay from one payslip to see your weekly earnings after allowed deductions and whether they are within the limit.

  • 2026/27 rates, earnings limit £204 a week from 6 April 2026
  • Checked 25 October 2026
  • Sources linked below

Have a recent payslip to hand. Use the figures for one pay period.

Do you care for someone for 35 hours a week or more?
Does the person you care for get a qualifying disability benefit? For example ADP daily living, PIP daily living, Attendance Allowance, Pension Age Disability Payment, or the middle or higher care rate of DLA or Child Disability Payment
Before any deductions, including overtime and bonuses
Only half of this is taken off
Paid to someone who is not a close relative, to look after the person you care for or your child under 16

Your earnings check

2026/27 rates

Fill in the form to see your estimate.

An estimate only. The organisation that pays the benefit makes the decision.

The short answer

Carer Support Payment is £86.45 a week and you can earn up to £204.00 a week after deductions. It is paid by Social Security Scotland and replaced Carer’s Allowance for people living in Scotland.

Apply through Social Security Scotland online, by phone or on paper. You cannot get Carer Support Payment and Carer’s Allowance at the same time.

How this is calculated

The earnings test works the same way as Carer’s Allowance. Your pay is turned into a weekly figure. Income Tax, National Insurance and half your pension contributions are taken off, then care costs you pay while working, up to half of what is left. The result is compared with £204.00.

Who can get it

  • You live in Scotland and are 16 or over.
  • You care for one person for at least 35 hours a week.
  • They get a qualifying benefit, such as Adult Disability Payment daily living, PIP daily living, Attendance Allowance, Pension Age Disability Payment, or the middle or higher care rate of Disability Living Allowance or Child Disability Payment.
  • Your earnings after deductions are £204.00 a week or less.

Common questions

How much is Carer Support Payment in 2026/27?

£86.45 a week, the same as Carer’s Allowance in the rest of the UK.

What is the Carer Support Payment earnings limit?

£204.00 a week from 6 April 2026, after Income Tax, National Insurance, half of your pension contributions and some care costs.

Can students get Carer Support Payment?

More students can get it than could get Carer’s Allowance. Many people in full-time study can now claim, but some younger students on certain courses cannot. Check your situation on mygov.scot before you apply.

I get Carer’s Allowance. Do I need to apply?

No. If you live in Scotland and already get Carer’s Allowance, Social Security Scotland moves you across without a gap in payments. If you move to Scotland from elsewhere in the UK, you need to make a new application.

Is there extra money for carers in Scotland?

Yes. The Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid twice a year to carers getting Carer Support Payment, and there is extra help if you care for more than one person. Social Security Scotland pays these automatically if you qualify.

Sources

  1. Carer Support Payment (mygov.scot)
  2. Carer's Allowance and the earnings limit (Carers UK)
  3. Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027 (DWP)

Written by the Benefit Sums editorial team. Review: independent review by a qualified welfare rights adviser is being arranged. Until then, every figure on this page links to its official source above.

Last checked 25 October 2026. Read how we calculate and our disclaimer. Spotted a mistake? Report a problem with this page.