UNPAID carers across Inverclyde can now apply for a new payment of more than £80 per week.

Applications for the Carer Support Payment opened in the area on Monday.

The Social Security Scotland benefit has been introduced in phases across the country since November last year, with the final stage seeing the payment rolled out to 19 more local authorities, including Inverclyde, from November 4.

It is now available in every local authority in the country, marking the completion of the roll-out of Scotland’s 14th benefit. 

The payment is for unpaid carers who provide 35 or more hours of care a week to someone who gets disability benefits.  

It's in addition to another Scotland-only benefit, the Carers Allowance Supplement, which paid out more than £450,000 to eligible carers in Inverclyde at the last round of payments in June.

Carer Support Payment is the replacement in Scotland for Carer’s Allowance which is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). 

Unlike Carer’s Allowance, Carer Support Payment is available to some carers in education. This includes full-time students aged 20 or over and students under 20 who are in advanced or higher education. 

In June, eligibility was extended to carers aged 16-19 in non-advanced education. This includes those studying for National Certificates, Highers and Advanced Highers, who meet certain criteria, for example, not having any parental support. 
 
As part of the roll out, new backdating rules were introduced meaning that some carers - mostly full-time students - living in the new areas can apply to have their payments backdated to when Carer Support Payment was introduced. 

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville said:  “The importance of the role of unpaid carers should not be underestimated. Their work is vital to the people they look after and to society as a whole.  

“I am delighted that Carer Support Payment is now available in every local authority in Scotland. Many students will now be able to get this financial support for the first time, thanks to changes made by the Scottish Government. 

“I urge anyone who thinks they might be eligible to find out more.” 

According to Carers Trust Scotland, it is estimated that there are around 35,000 unpaid carers attending college or university in Scotland.

Paul Traynor, head of external affairs at Carers Trust Scotland, said: "The immense contribution of unpaid carers to society cannot be understated, providing vital caring roles to their family and friends, and helping to hold society together.    

“Over 100,000 unpaid carers in Scotland are living in poverty and we hear all too often of the financial pressures of juggling studying and caring, where supplementing their income through employment is extremely challenging or not possible.

"Research highlights that student carers can be up to four times more likely to drop out of college or university and financial struggles are often one of the key reasons for this.    

“The national roll out of Carer Support Payment will help make a significant difference to many carers’ lives and support more student carers to remain and succeed in education.”

To find out more, and apply, go to socialsecurity.gov.scot.