Almost one million people all over Great Britain, including 83,903 residing in Scotland, are presently getting £81.90 each week in Carer’s Allowance.
Key Updates for Carer's Allowance Recipients Traveling Abroad on Holiday
Many Carer's Allowance claimants may not be up-to-date with the several changes in circumstances that have to be reported to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and thus risk losing their benefit entitlement.
These changes in circumstances encompass finding a job, entering or leaving full-time education, making more than £151 a week, providing less than 35 hours of weekly care, or the person they care for is admitted into hospital, into a care home or goes on a vacation.
Nevertheless, many unpaid caregivers may be unaware that leaving the country to go abroad on holiday for a period that exceeds four weeks during a six-month span (26 weeks), may impact benefit entitlement. So if you are planning to multiple foreign getaways this year, it's important to check the latest the information available on the GOV.UK website to make sure your travel dates align with the necessary guidance.
The guidance says: “You can carry on claiming Carer’s Allowance if you take up to four weeks holiday out of a 26-week period. Tell the office that deals with your benefit that you’ll be away.”
However, additional instructions available on the Independent Age website also states that if you’re planning to go abroad temporarily with the person you provide help for, and they receive certain benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Attendance Allowance, the duration can be prolonged.
It also advises that if you travel to a country within the Europe's Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you may still be eligible to continue receiving payments or submit a new claim.
The full list of changes you are required to report to the DWP can be found on GOV.UK here. You are also able to report the change online on that same website.
Reporting a Change Online
To report a change online, you need to have:
- Your National Insurance number.
- Details of the person you are taking care of.
- Details of your changes.
Number of People Claiming Carer’s Allowance
According to the DWP's latest figures, around 971,686 people were receiving Carer’s Allowance across Scotland, England, and Wales at the end of May, including 550 living abroad.
- Scotland: 83,903
- England: 828,633
- Wales: 58,600
- Living Abroad: 550
- Total: 971,686
Carer's Allowance Supplement
Carer’s Allowance claimants in Scotland-only will get one-off payments of £288.60 in December. Carer’s Allowance Supplement is a payment delivered automatically twice a year by the Scottish Government to acknowledge the important role played by unpaid caregivers — the initial payment of 2024 was made in June.
To be eligible for the automatic payment before Christmas, people are required to have been in receipt of either Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or the recently initiated Carer Support Payment from Social Security Scotland, on October 7, 2024 — the exact payment dates are yet to be confirmed.
The payment is managed by Social Security Scotland and issued separately from Carer’s Allowance. The second Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment will be issued in December to those who submit a claim on October 7, 2024.