Social Security experience panels: carer benefits - main report

Experience of applying for Carer's Allowance

The second part of the survey asked panel members about their experience of applying for Carer's Allowance and changes that they feel are needed to the Carer's Allowance application process when it moves to Scotland. Panel members were asked about their experience as a carer and their views of applying for Carer's Allowance. This section was asked of all 244 respondents.

Respondents were asked how they found out about Carer's Allowance when they first applied for it. A third of respondents (34 per cent) found out about Carer's Allowance through other avenues not mentioned in the table below. Among these "other" responses, many had found out about Carer's Allowance through a health or social worker or a third sector organisation. This included third sector organisations which support or advocate for people with a specific health condition, and local support groups. Others had spoken to Citizens Advice Scotland, or had received advice from a Welfare Rights service. Some had heard about Carer's Allowance through their work or by doing research online.

From the categories listed in the survey (set out in the table below), respondents mostly found out about Carer's Allowance through family or friends (29 per cent) or from DWP (20 per cent).

Respondents were asked how they applied for Carer's Allowance. More than half of respondent said they applied through a paper form (53 per cent). One third of respondents applied online (33 per cent).

Respondents were asked how they would want to apply if they were doing it again. More than six in ten respondents would want to apply online if they could do it again (61 per cent). Nearly two in ten respondents said they would want to apply using a paper form (16 per cent). There were a few respondents who said they would want to apply through a support organisation (14 per cent) or face to face (seven per cent).

Respondents were asked at what stage they applied for Carer's Allowance, in relation to when the person they care for applied for the qualifying disability benefit (such as Personal Independence Payment). Almost half of respondents applied for Carer's Allowance sometime after the person they cared for started receiving the qualifying benefit (49 per cent). More than three in ten respondents applied for Carer's Allowance when the person they cared for started receiving the qualifying benefit (33 per cent).