This response by the National Carer Organisations is in response to a call for views to the Scottish Commission on Social Security regarding Carer’s Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023. 

Carer Support Payment will replace Carer's Allowance in Scotland as the benefit is devolved to the Scottish Government.  The new benefit will be administered by Social Security Scotland rather than the Department of Work and Pensions.

We have produced a briefing about the new Carer Support Payment which includes plans for its launch, the safe and security transfer of people who are currently receiving Carer's Allowance and future changes.

The National Carer Organisations are Carers Trust Scotland, Carers Scotland, the Coalition of Carers in Scotland, MECOPP, Shared Care Scotland, and the Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance.

Together we have a shared vision that all of Scotland’s unpaid carers will feel valued, included and supported as equal partners in the provision of care. The National Carer Organisations aim to achieve this through the representation of unpaid carers and giving them a voice at a national level.

We believe we can deliver more for unpaid carers by working together to share our knowledge and experience, and by focusing our collective efforts on achieving improvements in areas of policy and practice that are of greatest concern to unpaid carers.