Change of circumstances while you're getting Carer Support

This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales

When to report a change of circumstances

You must tell Social Security Scotland if your circumstances change while you're getting Carer Support – this includes Carer Support Payment and Carer Additional Person Payment.

You must tell Social Security Scotland about any changes that might affect your benefit, for example, if:

  • your personal or contact details change, like your name or address

  • you stop providing care – this includes temporary breaks

  • there are changes in your employment, earnings or deductions

  • there are changes to a course you're studying, for example you become a student or change course

  • there are changes to your benefits or the benefits of the person you care for

  • the number of people you care for changes

  • you or the person you care for have a terminal illness

  • you leave the Common Travel Area.

How to report a change of circumstances

Find out how to report a change of circumstances to Social Security Scotland on mygov.scot.

If you move home

You must tell Social Security Scotland if you move home.

If you move from Scotland to another part of the UK

You can get Carer Support Payment for up to 13 weeks and then it will stop. This is to give you time to apply for Carer's Allowance.

You should tell Social Security Scotland that you've moved.

Find out more about Carer’s Allowance on GOV.UK.

If you move to Scotland from another part of the UK

If you get Carer’s Allowance you need to tell:

  • the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) the date of your move if you’ve moved from England or Wales

  • the Department for Communities (DfC) the date of your move if you’ve moved from Northern Ireland.

You can get Carer’s Allowance for up to 13 weeks and then it will stop. This is to give you time to apply for Carer Support Payment instead.

You should apply as soon as possible. If you apply within 26 weeks, your Carer Support Payment might be backdated to the date your Carer’s Allowance stopped.

Read more about benefits when moving to Scotland from another part of the UK on mygov.scot.

Temporary breaks in caring

You can still get Carer Support in some circumstances if you have had a temporary break from caring. In the 26 weeks starting from the week before your most recent break, you can be paid Carer Support if your break was:

  • 4 weeks or less, for any reason

  • 12 weeks or less, if you or the person you care for is in hospital or a similar institution

If your Carer Support Payment award is stopped, it can be restarted if you become eligible again within 26 weeks - for example, if your earnings reduce or the qualifying disability benefit starts again. You should tell Social Security Scotland if you’re eligible again so they can restart your Carer Support Payment. You do not have to make a new application.

If the person you’re caring for goes into a care home or hospital

If you have a break from caring because the person you care for goes into hospital, your Carer Support might stop if their disability benefit is stopped.

Some disability benefits stop after someone has been in a care home or hospital for 28 days. If the person you care for goes into a care home or hospital for more than 28 days, the time from each visit will be added together.

If disability benefits stop for the person you're caring for, you can't keep getting Carer Support for them. You should contact Social Security Scotland to let them know that the person's disability benefits have stopped.

The way your Carer Support is affected will depend on which carer payments you got and who you still provide care for.

If your Carer Additional Person Payment stops, your Carer Support Payment will not be affected and you will still receive your payment.

If you stop getting Carer Support Payment, your Carer Additional Person Payment will stop too.

Read more about what happens if you get Carer Additional Person Payment and stop getting Carer Support Payment.

If the person you're caring for dies

If the person you care for dies, you'll still get Carer Support for:

  • 12 weeks if the cared-for person died on or after 15 March 2026

  • 8 weeks if the cared-for person died on or before 14 March 2026.

The way your Carer Support is affected will depend on which carer payments you got and who you still provide care for.

If your Carer Additional Person Payment stops, your Carer Support Payment will not be affected and you will still receive your payment.

If you stop getting Carer Support Payment, your Carer Additional Person Payment will also stop.

If you get Carer Additional Person Payment and stop getting Carer Support Payment

If this happens, you might be able to apply for Carer Support Payment for the person you get Carer Additional Person Payment for. You would need to care for this person for 35 hours or more per week to change your claim for them to Carer Support Payment.

If you need more advice, speak to an adviser at your local citizens advice bureau.

If a carer dies

If the person providing care dies, Social Security Scotland might need to identify a person to pay any Carer Support that should have been paid to the carer. This will be part of the estate of the person who has died.

More help

You can get more advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau.

You can also get advice from Social Security Scotland. Find out how to contact Social Security Scotland on their website.

Social Security Scotland

PO Box 10302

Dundee

DD1 9FX

Phone: 0800 182 2222

If you're a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use the contactSCOTLAND app to contact Social Security Scotland by video relay.