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Thousands of carers to get £288 extra payment from TODAY – see if you’re one of them
Find out if you're eligible to claim it
THOUSANDS of carers claiming benefits are set to receive a one-off £288 payment from today.
A benefit known as "Carer's Allowance" is given to individuals who look after another person.
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In order to be eligible for it, you must provide at least 35 hours of care each week to an individual.
This can involve doing daily duties like laundry, handling finances, or accompanying them to medical appointments.
At the moment, it is worth £327 per four weeks, or £81.90 a week.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) administers the benefit, but Social Security Scotland oversees and pays the Carer's Support Payment in Scotland.
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In Scotland, some 84,000 people are receiving the carers benefit, according to data from Social Security Scotland.
In addition to the same requirements and payment rates, carers in Scotland are also entitled to two additional payments, known as "Carer's Allowance Supplements."
These two installments, totaling £288.60, are scheduled for payment in June and December of this year.
Social Security Scotland announced in a recent post to X that the supplement would be paid on June 7.
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The payment will be issued to those who were claiming the benefit on April 8 of this year, says the Social Security Scotland website.
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Those who make claims will have their cash automatically paid, so they won't need to apply for the supplement payment.
It will also be deposited straight into the bank account that receives your regular payout.
Prior to the payment being made, you will receive a letter indicating your eligibility for it.
If by June 17 you have not received one, you should call Social Security Scotland at 0800 182 2222.
Those who are claiming carer's benefit will get their second winter payment on October 7.
The precise date of this payment has not yet been determined.
Social Security Scotland says the payment will not affect your other benefits and you do not need to report it to the DWP or your council.
In Scotland, Carer Support Payment will gradually replace Carer's Allowance for everyone already claiming the DWP benefit.
New claims for Carer's Allowance were replaced by the Scottish payment in November 2023 for people living in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles and is set to launch in 10 more council areas this summer - the phased rollout will start with North and South Lanarkshire and Angus on June 24.
From August it will extend to Fife, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and North, East and South Ayrshire and be available in the rest of Scotland in November.
Only new claimants are eligible for the Carer Support Payment.
Those who are currently receiving Carer's Allowance from the DWP will not be impacted by the rollout and will gradually have their current award transferred to Social Security Scotland.
You may also be entitled to Carer's Allowance if you live outside of Scotland.
You can apply for the carer's allowance online by visiting www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim.
You can also request a form by calling the Carer's Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297.
Processing time usually takes up to 12 weeks to get a decision on your claim.
Carer's Allowance can be backdated for up to 3 months if you were eligible during that time.
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Claiming Carer’s Allowance might affect other benefits you or the person you care for receive. You should seek advice if you’re unsure about the impact.
You can also seek help from organizations like Citizens Advice for guidance through the application process.
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