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Chamber and committees

"Benefitting Older Carers" Campaign Launch

  • Submitted by: Paul O'Kane, West Scotland, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-11863

That the Parliament welcomes the launch of the "Benefitting Older Carers: improving social security support for older unpaid carers" campaign; further welcomes the opportunity to highlight what it sees as the challenges that the overlapping benefit rule between Carer’s Allowance and State Pension poses for older adult unpaid carers; notes the data published by the Scottish Government in 2023, which found that 40,937 unpaid carers were entitled to Carer’s Allowance but did not receive payments, due to reasons such as being in receipt of another benefit, including a State Pension; further notes the research published in 2023 by Carers Trust Scotland, Experiences of Older Adult Unpaid Carers in Scotland, which found that unpaid carers with underlying entitlement to Carer’s Allowance consider this overlapping benefit rule to be unfair, and that many older adult unpaid carers do not get any additional financial support in recognition of their caring role and the additional costs incurred by being unpaid carers; acknowledges Carers Trust Scotland’s recommendation that the Scottish Government prioritise financial support by extending Carer Support Payment to older adult unpaid carers with underlying entitlement who are receiving State Pension, and recognises what it sees as the vital role that older adult unpaid carers play and the importance of further discussions as to how this demographic of unpaid carers can be better supported.


Supported by: Foysol Choudhury, Monica Lennon, Carol Mochan, Colin Smyth, Paul Sweeney, Beatrice Wishart