The Carer’s Assistance (Young Carer Grant and Carer Support Payment) (Miscellaneous Amendment and Saving Provision) (Scotland) Regulations 2025: scrutiny report

Recommendation 1: To avoid doubt about the policy intention, the regulations should be drafted to make it explicit that the 20 hours of care required for Carer Additional Person Payment and the 35 hours of care required for Carer Support Payment can run concurrently.

Recommendation 2: The Scottish Government should redraft regulation 12 to ensure it does not inadvertently preclude any individual who is receiving the Universal Credit carer element for another cared for person from receiving Carer Additional Person Payment.

Recommendation 3: To improve the experience of older carers, the Scottish Government should continue implementing measures at pace and to closely monitor and evaluate progress.

Recommendation 4: With new social security support for carers creating a more complex landscape, the Scottish Government should develop a tailored and sustained communications and take-up plan to ensure all carers, particularly those with multiple caring roles, are aware of the support they are entitled to.

Recommendation 5: The Scottish Government should test with carers the alternative umbrella terms, ‘Carer Support’ and ‘Carer Payments’, to ensure the term chosen is not a barrier to take up.

Recommendation 6: The Scottish Government should provide more information on social security entitlements for carers in accessible formats and multiple languages to ensure carers with communication needs or limited English do not miss out.

Recommendation 7: To avoid creating unintended barriers to take up, rather than relying on the standard change of circumstances process the Scottish Government should design with carers a specific way for them to request that Carer Additional Person Payment is added to their award.

Recommendation 8: To give carers more choice about the support they receive, the Scottish Government should ensure regulations and processes allow carers applying for Carer Support to choose not to claim Carer Additional Person Payment. Carers should also be able to withdraw Carer Additional Person Payment from an application or end entitlement to this component without ending the whole award.

Recommendation 9: The Scottish Government should go further to address the lack of evidence on the effect that access to benefit for young carers may have on their caring and education choices and outcomes by supplementing its evaluation of currently available support with research on likely outcomes if more support were to be available.

Recommendation 10: We encourage the Scottish Government to work with the UK Government to make sure that the extended bereavement run-on benefits carers on Universal Credit.

Recommendation 11: The Scottish Government should make sure that processes proactively guide people through the system when they continue to have caring responsibilities for another person when Carer Support Payment entitlement ends for example, if the cared for person moves into care or they die.

Recommendation 12: To ensure that carers can effectively navigate the process, Social Security Scotland should make it simple for them to request backdating of their award. This should include giving clear guidance and being proactive in prompting about the importance of giving a reason when the request is late.

Recommendation 13: To ensure clear and accurate information is given to carers affected by various backdating rules, Social Security Scotland should provide more training and guidance for staff on provisions that are less commonly encountered.

Recommendation 14: Draft regulation 3(15)(c) amends ‘paragraph (1)(b)(i)’ but it should amend paragraph (1)(a)(i) of regulation 28.

Recommendation 15: Draft regulation 3(9) amending regulation 16(4A) should be amended to remove reference to meeting qualifying conditions relating to caring for the person who has died.