Chamberlain: Why are Carer Support Payments now much slower than England?

Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife, Wendy Chamberlain has warned that carers are waiting twice as long for support under the new Scottish support system.

Carer Support Payment (CSP), which replaced Carer’s Allowance in Scotland, is now taking up to twice as long to process compared to the DWP system in place in England.

Parliamentary questions and analysis submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats reveal:

• the median processing time for CSP hit 54.3 working days in March 2025, while DWP’s Carer’s Allowance remained relatively stable at around 26–29 days.

• In Scotland 640 carers waited more than 41 working days in March 2025 alone, nearly 60% of all processed applications that month.

• 45 applicants waited over 6 months.

Wendy Chamberlain said:

“I’ve been approached by carers concerned that payments are taking so long to process.

“These delays suggests that there are operational problems at play within Social Security Scotland. Why are Carer Support Payments now much slower than England?

“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.

“Scottish ministers might talk a good game about a gentler and kinder bureaucracy but what carers actually want is to get paid on time.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are determined to be the party of care. The Scottish Government have dropped the ball once again but we will make sure that carers get their claims processed swiftly and effectively. We need action, not excuses, for Scotland’s unpaid carers.”