Scots carers waiting twice as long for key benefit as people living in England
Scots carers who look after the disabled are waiting twice as long for a vital benefit compared to people in England.
Average processing times for the devolved Carer Support Payment (CSP) have now soared to 54 days.
Scottish Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain, who uncovered the huge disparity, blasted: 'I've been approached by carers concerned that payments are taking so long to process. Scottish ministers might talk a good game about a gentler and kinder bureaucracy but what carers actually want is to get paid on time.'
As part of the devolution of some social security benefits to Holyrood, CSP replaced the UK-wide Carer's Allowance, which is still in force south of the border.
Carers can receive £83.30 a week if the person they look after receives disability benefits.
But figures show the median processing time for CSP hit 54.3 working days in March, compared to 26-28.6 days for the DWP benefit in the same month.
Social Security Scotland figures show the waits faced by carers in having their claims processed has been steadily climbing.
The figure was a median average of 23.7 days in March last year and 28.2 in January before reaching 54.3 months ago.
Nearly 650 carers also had to wait more than 41 working days in March alone.
Around £89.5m was paid out in CSP between November 2023 and March this year.
Chamberlain said: 'The whole point of devolving social security powers was to give Scotland a chance to treat claimants more humanely compared to the hated DWP. Unfortunately, on the SNP's watch, processing times keep getting worse.'
Labour MSP Michael Marra said: 'These appalling waits show the SNP has broken its promise to deliver a fairer, more efficient social security system in Scotland. Under the SNP costs are spiralling but applicants are still being let down. Carers do invaluable work and they deserve a social security system that works for them, but they are being left in limbo for months on end due to SNP incompetence.'
Green MSP Maggie Chapman said: 'This is shocking and my heart and solidarity is with everyone who has been left waiting. Carers do a vital role for their loved ones and for our society and they deserve our recognition and respect, and also our support.
'Nobody should be made to wait this long, and I have no doubt that it will have caused a great deal of stress and anxiety for people who are often in precarious financial positions. The Scottish Government must turn this around and ensure that we have a social security system that recognises the importance of carers and is based on compassion and doesn't leave people waiting.'
A Social Security Scotland spokesperson said: 'Our priority is to process applications as quickly as possible and to make the right decision first time. Although average processing times for Carer Support Payment applications increased slightly earlier this year, the number of payments to unpaid carers more than tripled - putting more money in the pockets of people who do so much for others.
"Unlike Carer's Allowance, the benefit it replaces, Carer Support Payment is available to more carers in education, including full-time students aged 20 or over and students aged 16-19 in advanced or higher education.'
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