Social Security Scotland is encouraging eligible teenagers to apply for the annual Young Carer Grant, which is now worth £383.75 during the 2024/25 financial year.
Since being introduced in 2019 by the Scottish Government, the Young Carer Grant has delivered over £3 million to over 6,600 teenage carers.
However a leading carers charity says many young people who look after others do not recognise themselves as carers, as they see the support they give as just part of family life - as a result, they do not know they are entitled to benefits.Scottish Government figures suggest around 25 per cent of those eligible for Young Carer Grant in 2022/23 did not apply.
The Carers Trust recently joined Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville to urge teenagers who look after others to recognise their vital caring role and to apply for the support available to them.Young Carers Grant, paid by Social Security Scotland, is available to those aged 16-18 who spend 16 or more hours a week looking after someone who gets a disability benefit.The grant was introduced in October 2019 by the Scottish Government to help young people with caring responsibilities and is part of a wider package of support for young carers funded by the Scottish Government.
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