Unpaid carers
Unpaid carers provide care and support to family members, friends and neighbours. The people they care for may be affected by disability, physical or mental ill-health, frailty or substance misuse. A carer does not need to be living with the person they care for. Anybody can become a carer at any time in their life and sometimes for more than one person at a time. Carers can be any age from young children to very elderly people.
The Scotland’s Carers research reports (updated March 2026) and subsequent update releases bring together statistical analysis and research on caring and carers, including the number of unpaid carers in Scotland. We recognise the huge contribution made by unpaid carers and continue to work to improve support available to them.
Our National Carers Strategy (December 2022) established a strong foundation for carers policy in Scotland. We are building on this work to deliver meaningful improvements and better outcomes for unpaid carers.
Our main ongoing actions are as follows. We:
- established rights to support under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 and continue to work with partners to embed those rights
- deliver the Young Scot Young Carers Package for all young carers aged 11 to 18, offering exclusive discounts, vouchers and opportunities, including for breaks from caring and extra support for 18-year-olds before they turn 19
- fund the annual Scottish Young Carers Festival to allow young carers to take a break and engage with decision-makers
- fund the Carer Centre Managers Network and Scottish Young Carer Services Alliance - networks of local carer services to share good practice and provide a collective voice
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fund a full time Education Officer at Carers Trust Scotland and an education resource hub. Through this work we have also funded the Young Carers Challenge Scotland, a programme supporting schools to identify and support young carers.
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fund the Carer Positive accreditation scheme to recognise employers who provide a supportive working environment for those balancing caring and employment
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support the Triangle of Care project to support carers of those with mental health issues
- fund the Carers Parliament, an annual one day engagement event for carers
- provide £13 million per year for the voluntary sector Short Breaks Fund
- fund Respitality, offering carers free short breaks and opportunities donated by the hospitality sector
More information is in the following sections:
Benefits
If a carer provides care for one or more people, they may be eligible for:
- Carer Support Payment
- Scottish Carer Supplement
- Carer Additional Person Payment
Find out more about these payments.
For young carers aged 16 to 19, Young Carer Grant is available.
Carers' charter
Our Carers' Charter (published March 2018) sets out carers' rights under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016.
Specifically:
- all carers have the right to a personalised plan to identify what is important to them
- carers also have the right to support to meet their eligible needs and to choose how that support is delivered through self-directed support
- every area must have a local carer strategy and carer information and advice service
- carers also have rights to be involved in assessing the needs of the cared-for person and in decisions about discharging the cared-for person from hospital
Guidance for practitioners
- Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 - statutory guidance is advice for local practitioners on their responsibilities
- Equal Partners in Care (EPiC) is a learning resource which enables health and social care staff to identify, support and work with carers as equal partners.
- regulations and Scottish Statutory Instruments supporting the Carers Act
Carer organisations
The national carer organisations are:
- Carers Scotland
- Carers Trust Scotland (which hosts the Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance)
- Shared Care Scotland
- Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
- Coalition of Carers in Scotland (COCIS)
Other organisations:
- Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity providing grants for families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people
- Care Information Scotland (CIS) is a phone, webchat and website service providing information about care services for people living in Scotland