Who can apply
Take a Break can accept applications from parent carers and eligible kinship carers of disabled or seriously ill children and young people, aged 0 to 17.
We can only accept one application per household or family unit. If you care for multiple disabled or seriously ill children or young people, we encourage you to include all of them as part of your one application.
You can apply for a Take a Break grant if you:
- have lived in Scotland for six months
- are a UK resident
- care for a disabled or seriously ill child or young person, aged 0 to 17 years, who lives at home.
Please note: you will not be eligible to apply if the child or young person you care for is looked after by the local authority, or lives away from your home (e.g. in foster care).
Please also read our eligibility criteria.
Application supporting information
If you are applying for the first time, you’ll need to send us some supporting information as part of your application. It’s good to gather as many of the following documents before you start your application:
- The most recent copy of your child’s education/learning plan, showing the support they are given at school, college or similar.
- Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP), Additional Support Plan (ASP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP) Wellbeing Plan or Getting it Right for Every Child Plan or similar.
- A letter from a school (or similar) outlining your child’s current additional support needs and level of support needed.
- A recent diagnostic or review report or education psychologist assessment, health and social care support plan, communication passport or similar.
- A supporting letter from a third-party practitioner who knows your child and can confirm their additional support needs and type of support they need.
Grants for carers of young people aged 18 to 20
If you’re the unpaid carer of a young person aged 18 to 20, you can apply to the Time to Live grant programme. This programme is for all unpaid carers, including young carers. Time to Live is managed by Shared Care Scotland and delivered by local carers organisations across Scotland.
