By Linda Howard

Copyright dailyrecord

As thousands of students begin their college or university studies, those with caring roles are being urged to check they are claiming all the financial help they are entitled to. According to the Carers Trust Scotland, around 30,000 unpaid carers are currently studying at Scottish colleges and universities. These students face unique challenges, providing emotional, mental or physical support to family members, friends or neighbours while juggling lectures, coursework and student life. However, support is available from Social Security Scotland which delivers three payments aimed at making a real difference to student carers across Scotland. Carer Support Payment is a benefit worth £83.30 per week (£333.20 every four weeks) to those aged 16 and over providing 35 hours of unpaid care each week. It is available to many students in education, including those studying full-time. P Carer’s Allowance Supplement provides additional support in Scotland for those who receive Carer Support Payment. New claims for Carer Support Payment made by October 13 – which later turn out to be successful – will be entitled to a payment of £293.50 in December. Young Carer Grant offers an annual payment of £390.25 to carers aged 16-18. Eligibility depends on factors including the number of hours spent caring, the type of course being studied, and whether the person being cared for receives a disability benefit. Full details on eligibility can be found on mygov.scot. Research shows that student carers are four times more likely to drop out of their studies than other students. Financial difficulties are cited as being a major contributing factor alongside time constraints, that’s where payments for carers can help ease some of the pressures faced. Paul Traynor, Head of External Affairs at Carers Trust Scotland said: “Student carers face enormous pressures balancing their studies with their unpaid caring responsibilities and too often this can put their education at risk. “Financial support such as Carer Support Payment and the Young Carer Grant can make a real difference, helping to ease some of the financial strain and allowing unpaid carers to focus on their studies as well as their caring role. We would urge all student carers to check what support they are entitled to, so they don’t miss out.” Carer Support Payment is the devolved equivalent to Carer’s Allowance and is worth £83.30 per week to people providing 35 hours of unpaid care to family, friends or neighbours in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit. The weekly earnings threshold is £196 – equivalent to 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage. Carer Support Payment is money you can get if you provide care for someone and meet certain eligibility criteria. You must: The person you care for must already get one of these benefits: You can find out more about how it might affect other payments here. To get Carer Support Payment, you must provide care for someone as an unpaid carer for 35 hours or more a week. It cannot be care you provide: Even if you do not think of yourself as an unpaid carer, you might be eligible for Carer Support Payment. Examples of caring for someone include supporting them: If you provide care for someone with a mental health condition, you might: If you provide care for someone with an illness or disability, you might support them with: You might provide care for: You do not have to live with them or be related to them. You can only apply for Carer Support Payment for one person. If you provide care for more people, you are not entitled to extra payments. You can check if you are eligible for Carer Support Payment and find full details on the devolved benefit on the mygov.scot website here.