Carer support payment priority improvements: impact assessment updates

Islands Communities Impact Assessment considerations

We know from the Island Communities Impact Assessment^[43] produced for the principal Carer Support Payment regulations^[44] that:

• there are a substantially higher proportion of carers aged 65+ living on the islands compared to the Scottish mainland^[45], and that within island communities 40% of all those entitled to Carer’s Allowance are aged 65+, 11% higher than the figure for Scotland as a whole^[46]. Older adults are more likely to be impacted by the effects of caring, as well as potentially having health problems and disabilities themselves^[47].
• there is a prevalence of seasonal work in island and remote rural areas dependent on tourism and other seasonal industries^[48].
• island carers may face additional barriers to accessing support services due to limited public transport and the distance between remote destinations resulting in increased travel times^[49].
• island carers are disproportionately impacted by digital exclusion compared to those in mainland Scotland, and particularly those living within less rural settings^[50]. There will be intersectional impacts on carers who may be digitally excluded for other reasons. This includes some older carers, of whom there is a higher proportion in island communities. Caring roles can exacerbate feelings of digital exclusion, as older adults who struggled using technology prior to caring, found that taking on their caring role compounded the issue. These older adult carers also have less time to familiarise themselves with the skills they need to get online than their non-caring peers. Digital exclusion was, therefore, identified as a barrier to carers accessing information about benefits, negatively impacting benefit uptake^[51].
• from previous user research, we know that the close-knit nature of island communities can act as a barrier to benefit take-up for younger island carers. Working age and older adult carers tended to cite ‘looking after their own’^[52] as their main barrier to applying, and as a result many felt they should not receive benefits for this. In user research undertaken by the Scottish Government^[53], carers also emphasised the private nature of island communities, which can prevent care from being visible.

In the earlier Island Communities Impact Assessment^[54], we set out the actions we have taken or are taking to help address these challenges. This includes support offered through Social Security Scotland’s Local Delivery Service, which will offer more flexibility and choice in carers accessing support.

Furthermore, Social Security Scotland’s Local Delivery service will be mobile and flexible, supporting island and rural carers with more choice in how they access Carer Support Payment, in a place most convenient to them. The Scottish Government are investing in Social Security Scotland’s Local Delivery network, with the service available in all 32 local authorities across Scotland. This service can support people in the way that suits them best, including at home, in local venues or by video or telephone appointments. This may reduce the need to travel or have online access in order to apply for support, reducing barriers for island communities, and could also reduce the stigma around applying for benefits which can be greater in remote rural communities^[55].

As set out in the equality impact assessment^[56] for Carer Support Payment, as a general point, introducing rules which are different to the Department for Work and Pensions could add complexity, which may negatively impact benefit take-up. We already have Young Carer Grant, which will be extended to 19 year olds, and the additional components of Carer Support. These include extra regular payments alongside Carer Support Payment through the Scottish Carer Supplement and the Carer Additional Person Payment. Extending the bereavement run on from 8 to 12 weeks is also separates Carer Support for Carer's Allowance.

The increased challenges of lack of connectivity on islands makes this risk higher. Following through effectively on the actions set out above, with user tested and targeted communications, is therefore all the more important. It is also an area which we will carefully cover in our monitoring and evaluation plans, and use our ongoing engagement with stakeholders, for example at our annual equalities event, to consider.

For the introduction of Carer Support, information on the launch of the benefit was shared via media, social media, newsletters and events. Social Security Scotland also created a toolkit^[57] which includes factsheets and social media posts that are free to download, and they encourage their stakeholders to share these through their channels. Factsheets can be proactively translated into 12 community languages, including Gaelic and British Sign Language, with other languages available on request.

All Carer Support Payment clients will receive a notification explaining the transfer to Carer Support and outlining the three components and additional information for the introduction of Carer Additional P-person Payment. This will be complemented by a range of online and offline channels. This approach will take into account the different communications needs of audiences, including those in island communities. The first island community in which Carer Support Payment was introduced was Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Western Isles). Targeted communications were delivered to promote the benefit, and we will use any learning from this to maximise take up of Carer Additional Person Payment.

Information will continue to be shared via media, social media, newsletters and events to promote Carer Additional Person Payment. Social Security Scotland will also create a toolkit which will include, for example, factsheets and social media posts, that will be free to download and will encourage stakeholders to share through their channels.

Recognising insight that shows people expect to get information in places and services they are interacting with, we will share leaflets and posters in community settings like GP surgeries and libraries. This will be particularly important for rural and island locations.

Ongoing work is also underway to consider the findings from our research^[58] into ‘seldom-heard audiences’, including carers, to help Social Security Scotland understand how best to reach them.

Lastly, Social Security Scotland and Scottish Government officials will deliver National Engagement roadshows to promote awareness of the improvements, including bespoke engagement to alleviate any impacts island communities may face in accessing information on and understanding key changes to support.

We will continue to engage with carers in island and rural communities on future improvements to Carer Support Payment, including ensuring that our signposting to wider carer services meets the needs of these communities. We are also committed, through the National Islands Plan^[59], to tackle the higher costs of fuel, transport, and housing experienced by island and rural communities.

Paying Scottish Carer Supplement as a regular payment alongside Carer Support Payment

Scottish Carer Supplement will be paid automatically without any need for an application once a carer is in receipt of Carer Support. As a result, issues related to connectivity and digital exclusion will not apply in relation to this change.

Eligibility for Scottish Carer Supplement will be based on weeks for which Carer Support Payment is paid, and paid weekly or 4 weekly alongside Carer Support Payment, rather than as a lump sum based on a single qualifying date within a six-month period.

The new approach means that carers whose earnings may fluctuate, such as seasonal workers (which we know are more common in island communities^[60]), could benefit. This will also contribute to more regular and stable support for the carer, and support budgeting for essential weekly and monthly outgoings like food and heating.

We anticipate this will help to alleviate lower incomes for carers living within island communities, which we know is particularly prevalent due to the increased living costs associated with living on an island^[61]. Positive impacts will be particularly felt by young (aged 16-19) and working-age carers, as these carers are less likely than pension-age carers to be receiving an overlapping benefit paid at a higher rate, such as the State Pension^[62].

Introducing Carer Additional Person Payment

On the introduction of Carer Additional Person Payment, this will be worth £520 per year (based on the current value of £10 per week) to carers who provide regular and substantial care for more than one disabled person for 20 or more hours a week. We know that living costs tend to be higher on islands, so when combined with wider cross-governmental work to positively impact on rural communities, this recognition payment will contribute to providing island carers with both recognition of their additional caring role and more financial stability.

We know carers in island communities are more likely to be digitally excluded and that, as a result, islanders were more likely than urban or rural respondents to access Local Delivery support in person, either through home visits or at arranged venues^[63]. In order to minimise the burden on carers, there will be no separate application form for Carer Additional Person Payment. For carers already in receipt of Carer Support Payment, the additional caring role can be notified through the Change of Circumstances process.

Older age carers

As we know from our previous Island Communities Impact Assessment^[64], remote rural areas have a higher proportion (23%) of older people (aged 65+) compared to the rest of Scotland. We are also aware from our previous Impact Assessment^[65] that a large proportion of island carers may be of pension-age, meaning when they begin to receive their State Pension, they would have what is known as ‘underlying entitlement’ only to Carer Support Payment. In practice, this means they wouldn’t receive payments of Carer Support if their State Pension exceeded the current rate of Carer Support Payment (currently £83.30 per week in 2025/26)^[66]. However, having 'underlying entitlement’ may mean that they are eligible for additional support and premiums in other benefits, such as Pension Credit.

Rural and island carers are more likely to be digitally excluded which can reduce access to public services and restrict opportunities. Research from Ofcom^[67] found 83% of households have access to superfast broadband compared to 99% in urban areas.

As set out in the previous Equalities Impact Assessment for Carer Support Payment^[68], the multiple channels available for applications – either by phone, post, or online – will be actively promoted to this group to help address this barrier. Social Security Scotland’s Local Delivery services will also be available to assist digitally excluded carers in applying for support and promoting benefit take-up.

A greater awareness of support available and alternative methods of application will benefit carers living within island communities who may be digitally excluded. There will be different types of communication, such as factsheets drafted for different communities (including easy-read versions) and translated into 12 different community languages, including Gaelic, with additional languages available on request. Similarly to the introduction of Carer Support Payment, local press and radio advertisements will also run to advertise this support to island carers within local communities. A combination of these factors could be used to mitigate any impacts.

Extending the bereavement run on

We know from our research that this policy is expected to benefit approximately 4,000 carers. It will be most relevant for those who are more likely to be looking after older people. As we know from our previous Island Communities Impact Assessment, remote rural areas have a higher proportion (23%) of older people aged 65+ than the rest of Scotland^[69].

Therefore, with a higher proportion of older adult carers and older people living in island communities, this group may predominantly feel any positive impacts that extending the run-on would provide, including more financial support at a difficult time for carers.

Extending Young Carer Grant to 19-year-olds

In the Island Communities Impact Assessment for Young Carer Grant^[70], young carers living within island communities reported similar issues impacting them in terms of connectivity, lack of access to carers services and young carer groups when compared to urban areas. They noted that even if they do meet with other carers or support services, the costs associated with travel and the increased cost of island living act as a barrier. By extending Young Carer Grant to 19-year-olds, those eligible who live withing island communities will be able to access the grant and spend it however they choose.

Amendments to the principal regulations

The further minor amendments to the principal regulations do not change how the benefit is delivered but aim to increase the fairness and provide greater clarity in regulations. We do not expect these changes to any significant positive or negative impact on carers in island communities.

Summary and conclusion

To summarise, though the introduction of Carer Support and the associated improvements are expected to have positive impacts on carers across Scotland, there are unique challenges faced by island communities in applying for support. An older adult population is prevalent within these communities, and we know from previous intersectional research that older adult carers can also be more likely to experience feelings of digital exclusion. Limited public transport to engage with carer services and the increased cost of living associated with island living, alongside a belief that caring for one's own is a duty, each contribute to exacerbating barriers in carer identification and subsequently in applying for support.

We will continue to ensure that targeted communications are developed specifically for island carers, similarly to the pilot launch of Carer Support Payment in the island community of Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Western Isles), where information on the benefit was shared through multiple channels, including print media advertisements, social media, newsletters and events.

This impact assessment update has not identified significantly different effects for island communities. However, these impacts will continue to be monitored closely as part of our wider monitoring and evaluation work for Carer Support.