For immediate release:

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PAYS OUT £2.4 MILLION TO CARERS IN SOUTH LANARKSHIRE

Thousands of carers in South Lanarkshire have benefitted from new Carer’s Allowance Supplement (CAS) payments of up to £442 – introduced recently by the Scottish Government.

Figures released last month show that 11,000 payments have been made to carers across the local authority region, totalling £2,432,000.

The Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment made to carers in Scotland twice a year, in recognition of the important contribution they make.

Carers will now get two supplementary payments totalling £442 per year, equivalent to an extra £8.50 per week, which is a 13% increase on the existing Carer’s Allowance from the UK Government.

Commenting, Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey said:

“Last year, the Carer’s Allowance Supplement helped 83,000 carers across Scotland, including 5,935 in South Lanarkshire.

“Carers in Rutherglen and Cambuslang make an absolutely vital contribution to our society, and it’s only appropriate that they’re duly valued and properly supported. This supplementary payment allows the Scottish Government to get more money into the pockets of carers, as quickly as possible.

“The Scottish Government is determined to use the powers available to the Scottish Parliament to improve the lives of people across Scotland.

“I am delighted that our carers are being recognised for the important contribution they make, and the hard work they do in what can often be difficult circumstances.”

ENDS

Notes:

Figures taken from Table 2, ‘Summary statistics for Carer’s Allowance at November 2018 and Carer’s Allowance Supplement, October eligibility date 2018’ which can be found on the below link:

https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Social-Welfare/SocialSecurityforScotland/CASOct2018

South Lanarkshire statistics referenced in the above spreadsheet are copied in the below table for ease:

Date published: 30th May 2019