Written Question · S5W-29116 · Session 5
How many unpaid carers it estimates will not receive the recently announced additional Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment of £230.10, and…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government how many unpaid carers it estimates will not receive the recently announced additional Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment of £230.10, and for what reason they are not eligible.
The answer
According to the latest estimate around 690,000 people in Scotland are providing regular unpaid care to family members, friends, neighbours or others, for one or more hours a week, and on a range of incomes. The Coronavirus Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be paid automatically alongside the June Carer’s Allowance Supplement to unpaid carers living in Scotland and receiving Carer’s Allowance on the qualifying date of 13 April 2020. Carers who have applications for Carer’s Allowance backdated to include the qualifying date of 13 April 2020 will also be eligible.
By investing £19.2 million, the Scottish Government will ensure that around 83,000 unpaid carers will receive the payment. We are taking receipt of Carer’s Allowance as a proxy for those carers who have the most intensive caring roles and who have some of the lowest incomes. The majority of Carer’s Allowance recipients will not benefit from the UK Government’s increase to Universal Credit.
We considered a range of mechanisms to provide additional support for unpaid carers. An additional payment of Carer’s Allowance Supplement was the only feasible option to deliver extra money to carers quickly. Creating a brand new benefit for carers or extending eligibility for Carer’s Allowance Supplement would take several months as a minimum. It would require significant resources from Social Security Scotland, and Social Security staff within Scottish Government, to develop new processes and build new systems. It would also need to be supported by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Department for Work and Pensions and Social Security Scotland are prioritising frontline delivery of existing benefits to support people on low incomes at this time. Adding an additional benefit would place strain on these operations when they are needed most and we could not guarantee support would be available from the Department of Work and Pensions when we needed it.
By investing £19.2 million, the Scottish Government will ensure that around 83,000 unpaid carers will receive the payment. We are taking receipt of Carer’s Allowance as a proxy for those carers who have the most intensive caring roles and who have some of the lowest incomes. The majority of Carer’s Allowance recipients will not benefit from the UK Government’s increase to Universal Credit.
We considered a range of mechanisms to provide additional support for unpaid carers. An additional payment of Carer’s Allowance Supplement was the only feasible option to deliver extra money to carers quickly. Creating a brand new benefit for carers or extending eligibility for Carer’s Allowance Supplement would take several months as a minimum. It would require significant resources from Social Security Scotland, and Social Security staff within Scottish Government, to develop new processes and build new systems. It would also need to be supported by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Department for Work and Pensions and Social Security Scotland are prioritising frontline delivery of existing benefits to support people on low incomes at this time. Adding an additional benefit would place strain on these operations when they are needed most and we could not guarantee support would be available from the Department of Work and Pensions when we needed it.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S5W-29116 by reference.