Carers Allowance

DWP describe the Carer's Allowance (CA) as a benefit to help people who look after someone who is disabled. They do not have to be related to, or live with, the person that is cared for. CA may be available if a person is aged 16 or over and spends at least 35 hours a week caring for a person getting Attendance Allowance, or Disability Living Allowance (at the middle or highest rate for personal care), or Constant Attendance Allowance (at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, or basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension).

Information on Carers Allowance Claimants is not available at Multi Member Ward level.

Figure 1: Carers Allowance Claimants (August 2003 to February 2011)

*Relevant population is the population of any relevant qualifying age group described above.

1.1% of people aged over 16 in Highland receive CA, the same as the United Kingdom average and slightly less than the Scotland average of 1.1%. There has been a general trend of increasing numbers of people receiving CA over the last five years in Scotland and Great Britain and Highland is now following this trend.

Carers Allowance Claimants by Local Authority ( February 2011 )

Highland is ranked 14th out of the 32 Local Authorities for the percentage of people aged over 16 receiving CA with Glasgow (1.7) and West Dunbartonshire (1.6%) the highest and Shetland and Aberdeen City the lowest (both 0.6%). Highland had an increase of 4.3% between 2009 and 2010 which is similar to the Scotland average: during this period Orkney Islands had the biggest increase.

Local Authority	Claimants	% of population aged over 16 claiming Carers Allowance	% change in claims over last 12 months
Aberdeen City	1,110	0.6	0
Aberdeenshire	1,440	0.7	2.9
Angus	950	1.1	6.7
Argyll & Bute	700	0.9	2.9
Clackmannanshire	520	1.3	6.3
Dumfries & Galloway	1,660	1.3	2.5
Dundee City	1,600	1.3	6.0
East Ayrshire	1,530	1.6	0.7
East Dunbartonshire	650	0.8	3.3
East Lothian	780	1.0	5.4
East Renfrewshire	600	0.8	5.3
Edinburgh, City of	3,130	0.8	4.7
Eilean Siar	200	0.9	5.3
Falkirk	1,500	1.2	2.7
Fife	3,600	1.2	6.8
Glasgow City	8,400	1.7	4.5
Highland	1,980	1.1	4.3
Inverclyde	980	1.5	6.5
Midlothian	790	1.2	5.4
Moray	670	0.9	3.1
North Ayrshire	1,680	1.5	5.7
North Lanarkshire	3,990	1.5	5.7
Orkney Islands	140	0.9	7.7
Perthshire & Kinross	1,010	0.8	4.2
Renfrewshire	1,570	1.1	3.3
Scottish Borders	850	0.9	5.1
Shetland Islands	110	0.6	0
South Ayrshire	1,190	1.3	4.4
South Lanarkshire	3,480	1.4	3.3
Stirling	680	0.9	6.5
West Dunbartonshire	1,190	1.6	0.0
West Lothian	1,660	1.2	5.9
Scotland	50,340	1.2	4.4
United Kingdom	565,320	1.1	6.0
Source: Department for Work and Pensions data from NOMIS