The Scottish Government has announced more than 300,000 children and young people under the age of 16 are now receiving £25 weekly Scottish Child Payments. New figures show 303,000 families were receiving the £100 monthly payment at the end of March.
The total amount of the devolved benefit paid out since its launch in February 2021 now stands at £248.6 million. However, in 2023/24, around 370,000 children will be eligible for the payment, but only 309,000 are forecast to benefit from it with the biggest gap predicted for six to 15-year-olds where only 80 per cent of 257,000 youngsters in this age group will take it up.
By contrast, the take up rate for children under six is estimated to be 92 per cent this year. Scottish Child Payment was extended to include all eligible children until their 16th birthday and increased to £25 per child per week in November last year.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “The game-changing Scottish Child Payment is designed to tackle child poverty head-on and lift families out of poverty.
“Families in Scotland are able to benefit from five family payments delivered by the Scottish Government which could be worth more than £10,000 by the time an eligible child turns six and over £20,000 by the time an eligible child turns 16.”
He added: “I am pleased at the take up of the Payment but we still want to get that money to all of those eligible. I would encourage anyone who thinks they may be eligible to find out more and apply.”
Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical missions for the Scottish Government and it will continue to combat child poverty through its second child poverty delivery plan for 2022-26, Best Start Bright Futures.
Polly Jones, Head of Scotland at the Trussell Trust, said: “Everyone in Scotland should be able to afford the essentials but we know that more families are struggling than ever before. We have long called for the Scottish Child Payment to be increased and extended to all children up to 16 and so it’s very encouraging to see the positive impact this is making, reaching more families and getting more cash into the pockets of people who need support the most.”
Below is everything you need to know about the benefit, you can find more information and apply directly on MyGov.Scot here.
What is the Scottish Child Payment?
Scottish Child Payment helps towards the costs of supporting your family. It is a weekly payment of £25 that you can get for every child you look after who's under 16 years of age. You will get £25 per week, per child. The money is paid every four weeks.
Scottish Child Payment is part of a wider package of five family payments including:
- Best Start Grant
- Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment
- Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment
- Best Start Grant School Age Payment
- Best Start Foods
Who can apply?
Only one person can get Scottish Child Payment for a child and it does not affect any other UK or Scottish Government benefits that you, or any person in your household, currently get.
You may be able to get Scottish Child Payment if all of the following apply:
- you live in Scotland
- you or your partner are getting certain benefits or payments
- you or your partner are the main person looking after a child who's under six years old
Benefits or payment you or your partner must get
You can apply whether you're in work or not, as long as you're getting one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
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How to apply
For full details on claiming the benefit or to make a new claim, you can do it online here. You can also apply over the phone by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 222.
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