Young carer grant extended to support 19-year-olds, Scottish Government announce

Young carers in Scotland aged up to 19 are now eligible for the Young Carer Grant, following an extension announced by the Scottish Government.

The annual payment of £390.25, delivered by Social Security Scotland, was previously only available to carers aged 16 to 18.

The expansion aims to provide further financial support to young people who dedicate significant time to caring for family members or others with disabilities.

The grant can be used flexibly for any personal needs, such as driving lessons, educational equipment, or clothing.

To qualify, applicants must spend an average of 16 hours a week caring for someone receiving a disability benefit and must have been providing this care for at least three months.

The grant is available whether the young person is in school, employed, or not working. Those who already receive the Carer Support Payment, which is available to carers providing 35 hours of care or more, are not eligible for the Young Carer Grant.

Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the extension recognises the important contribution young carers make.

“Young Carer Grant recognises the important contribution that young carers make, and I’m proud that we’re able to extend eligibility further to include 19-year-olds,” she said.

“Young carers often miss out on activities enjoyed by other people their age – Young Carer Grant provides some support towards helping them do the things they like outside of their caring responsibilities.”

She encouraged young carers to check their eligibility and explore the wider support available.

Millie, a 19-year-old carer from Fort William, welcomed the change.

She said the grant helped her with driving lessons and car insurance over the past three years and that extending eligibility to 19-year-olds will “definitely benefit a lot of young adult carers who don’t receive any financial benefits.”

“I was told about the Young Carer Grant through our community link worker and was able to apply for it when I was 16, 17 and 18 which was very beneficial towards my driving lessons and car insurance”, she said.

“It’s absolutely brilliant that Young Carer Grant is up to the age of 19 now. It will definitely benefit a lot of young adult carers who don’t receive any financial benefits.”

According to official statistics, 4,135 Young Carer Grant payments were made in the 2024/25 financial year, the highest since the grant was introduced in 2019.