Financial help for carers

This page looks at Carer's Allowance, Direct Payments for social care services, and grants for carers.

Financial support for carers

Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment

If you care for someone for 35 hours a week or more, you might be able to claim Carer’s Allowance. In Scotland, this is changing to the ‘Carer Support Payment’. 

These benefits are paid to the carer and not the person with MS. Only one person can receive them for looking after an individual. There are rules about how much you can earn. A benefits adviser can help you check if you're eligible.

Claiming Carer’s Allowance might affect payments for other benefits in the household. So speak to a benefits adviser to check your options.

Find out more about Carer’s Allowance, including how it might affect other benefits, at Carers UK

Apply for Carer's Allowance online

In Scotland

In Scotland, people who get Carer's Allowance automatically get an extra payment called Carer's Allowance Supplement.

The Carer Support Payment is gradually replacing Carer’s Allowance across Scotland.  In some areas it’s already available. It’s expected to take until Spring 2025 to make the change across Scotland. 

One big difference is that the Carer Support Payment is available to some carers who are in full-time education. 

If you already get Carer’s Allowance, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Social Security Scotland will let you know when your benefit changes. You don’t have to apply for the new benefit.

You’ll get the same amount on the new benefit, including the Carer’s Allowance Supplement twice a year.

Find out more or apply for carer payments in Scotland at mygov.scot

Other carers benefits 

The UK government website also has details of two other benefits you might be able to claim - Universal Credit and Pension Credit:

Read about Universal Credit at gov.uk

Read about Pension Credit at gov.uk

Direct payments

Direct payments are a way of paying for a social care service that you need. The money is given to you by your local council, or, in Northern Ireland, your Health and Social Care Trust.

If you have MS, or you’re someone’s carer, you can be assessed to see what social care support you need. This is done by the local council or Trust. If the assessment agrees that you qualify for help, you’ll be given a personal budget. This is how much the council or Trust is willing to spend on what you need. 

You can just take the services on offer from the local council or Trust. Or instead you might choose to use ‘direct payments’ from this budget to buy services you feel best meet your needs.  

Direct payments give you more control over any help you get from social services. Instead of getting the support arranged by your council or trust, you buy the services you feel you need. There are some conditions, including:

• you and/or the person you care for has been assessed as needing social care support
• the council or trust agree on how you plan to spend the money

In Scotland, you can get direct payments through what’s called ‘self-directed support’.

Direct payments means more control but also more responsibility. You must keep records of how you spend the money, and manage a separate bank account for it. Your council or Trust can support you in this. But if you feel direct payments is too much responsibility, you can ask the council or Trust to arrange your care and support services instead. Or someone else such as your carer or what’s called a broker can take this on for you. 

Find out more about direct payments at Carers UK

Grants from carers organisations

Some local carers centres have grants available. Quite often this money will be provided for things like short breaks and therapies which can help a carer maintain their caring role.

Find out about local support and grants through the Carers Trust

Scotland Young Carer Grant

If you’re a young carer aged 16-18 in Scotland, you might be able to get a Young Carer Grant from the government.

Read more about the Young Carer Grant on the Young Scot website

Further support for carers

Read more about help for carers in Scotland, and help for carers in Wales.

The booklet Looking after someone, produced by Carers UK has comprehensive information about carers' rights, financial and practical support.

You can get free and confidential advice about legal and money issues from Citizens Advice:

• Citizens Advice for carers in England
• Citizens Advice for carers in Wales
• Citizens Advice for carers in Scotland

Bear in mind that the social care system is changing - and there may be changes that could affect you.