90,000 unpaid carers due £293 last month urged to speak up | Personal Finance | Finance

Around 90,000 unpaid carers in Scotland should have received a £293.50 payment last month through their Carer’s Allowance Supplement. This supplement is paid twice a year specifically to people living in Scotland who were receiving Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on April 14, 2025.

It should have automatically entered all eligible accounts on the 18th and 19th of June. If you believe you are eligible but did not get a letter or payment, you can now report it as a missing payment according to the Daily Record. This can be done by contacting Social Security Scotland.

To be eligible for Carer’s Allowance Supplement you must be living in Scotland on a specific date or have a “genuine and sufficient link” to Scotland. The person you care for does not have to live in Scotland.

You must also be claiming either Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment, which replaced the former in Scotland.

The Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an additional payment made twice a year on top of the unpaid carers benefit, it does not replace that benefit payment.

The payment should be made automatically, shortly after a letter from Social Security Scotland is sent, so you won’t need to apply for it.

Social Security Scotland is now urging people who think they were eligible for the payment – which is paid in addition to Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance – and did not receive a letter or the money to contact them for free on 0800 182 2222 or use the webchat service here to report it missing.

Carer Support Payments were first rolled out across Scotland last year, replacing Carer’s Allowance as part of the Scottish devolution.

The amounts paid by each benefit are still equal, offering around £5,000 a year for unpaid carers although you cannot get both at the same time.

To be eligible for Carer Support Payment you meet the following requirements:

• Be 16 or over
• Usually living in Scotland
• Provide care for 35 hours or more per week
• Not earn more than £196 a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses
• The person you care for must get a qualifying benefit such as Scottish Adult Disability Living allowance or Attendance Allowance

You can only apply for Carer Support Payment for one person. If you provide care for more people, you are not entitled to extra payments.

You can check if you are eligible for Carer Support Payment and find full details on the devolved benefit on the mygov.scot website here.