New details for people on Carer’s Allowance moving to devolved payment next year

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The Scottish Government is working towards delivering a new benefit that will start to replace Carer’s Allowance by the end of this year, with a full national rollout planned for Spring 2024.Scottish Carer's Assistance promises to provide an ‘improved service’, designed with carers to meet their needs, and in line with Scottish Government principles of fairness, dignity and respect.

The new benefit will maintain the extra support provided by Carer's Allowance Supplement - two additional payments of £245.70 which were made in June and December this year - to increase Carer's Allowance (£69.70 per week) by over 13 per cent, and will help to link carers to wider support and services.New details have been published in the regulations about transferring existing claimants on Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to the Carer Support Payment, for people living in Scotland.

The change in benefit and provider does not apply to anyone living in England or Wales, unless they move north of the border.The regulations state that Scottish Ministers have developed a “safe and secure process, which will require no action on behalf of the individual wherever possible”. In a nutshell, the guidance says that it has been designed in line with the following case transfer principles: The regulations also state: “When an individual's carer benefit has been selected for transfer, Scottish Ministers will receive data and information relevant to the individual's most recent Carer's Allowance award from DWP.“Once Scottish Ministers have received this information, the regulations make provision for the Scottish Ministers to notify the individual of the intention to transfer them to Carer Support Payment.