Scottish Child Payment: Everything Parents Need to Know

Scottish Child Payment is the single biggest Scotland-only family benefit, and it’s probably the most important benefit for low-income families to know about. It’s simple, generous, and thousands of families still don’t claim it. Here’s what you need to know.

What is it?

Scottish Child Payment is a weekly payment of £28.20 per child under 16, for families who already get one of the qualifying UK benefits. It’s paid by Social Security Scotland and exists only in Scotland — there’s no English equivalent.

Per child, per year, that’s roughly £1,466. A family with three eligible children receives around £4,398 per year — on top of Child Benefit, Universal Credit and anything else they get.

Who is eligible?

You need to be responsible for a child under 16 and be getting one of these benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit

Note: eligibility is based on what you receive, not a specific income threshold. If your circumstances change and you move off qualifying benefits, Scottish Child Payment stops.

How it’s paid

Payments go into your bank account every four weeks (not weekly, despite the weekly headline rate). That’s normally £112.80 per child every four weeks.

How to apply

Applications are made to Social Security Scotland — either online at mygov.scot, by post, or by phone. You’ll need:

• Your details (name, address, NI number)
• Your qualifying benefit details
• Details of each child
• Your bank details

Decisions are usually made within a few weeks. If your application is approved, the payment is normally backdated to the date of your application.

1. 1

   Check your qualifying benefit is in place

   Make sure your Universal Credit / Tax Credit claim is active first. SCP is a top-up.
2. 2

   Apply at mygov.scot

   Use the Scottish Child Payment online form — takes about 15 minutes.
3. 3

   Keep your claim updated

   If you have another baby or your child turns 16, let Social Security Scotland know.

Why families miss out

Social Security Scotland’s own data shows tens of thousands of eligible families don’t claim. Common reasons:

• They assume Child Benefit is “the” child payment in the UK and don’t realise Scotland has its own top-up.
• They think the amount is small or the application is complicated (it isn’t).
• They moved to Scotland recently and haven’t heard of it.

If you’re getting Universal Credit and you have kids under 16, you should be claiming.

Scottish Child Payment alongside other benefits

The brilliant thing about SCP is that it stacks with almost everything else:

• Child Benefit: unaffected
• Universal Credit: unaffected (it doesn’t count as income for UC)
• Best Start Grant: both can be claimed, alongside each other
• Best Start Foods: both can be claimed
• Free school meals: separate system
• Council tax reduction: unaffected

Kinship carers: you qualify too

Grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and family friends who are informally raising a child can claim Scottish Child Payment — you don't need to be the legal parent. What matters is that you are responsible for the child's day-to-day care and are receiving a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit.

Kinship carers receiving Kinship Care Allowance from their local council do not automatically receive SCP — it's a separate application. If you're raising a grandchild or niece/nephew and claiming a qualifying benefit, apply directly to Social Security Scotland.

If you have a formal kinship care order or are a foster carer with a kinship arrangement, contact Social Security Scotland to discuss your specific circumstances before applying.

If you've recently moved to Scotland

Scottish Child Payment is available from the date you move to Scotland — there's no residency waiting period, as long as you're already claiming a qualifying benefit (such as Universal Credit).

New arrivals from England who are already on Universal Credit should apply for SCP as soon as they have a Scottish address. Payments can be backdated up to three months, so don't delay. Families who move and then wait six months to apply lose the backdate entitlement for that period.

Non-UK nationals with limited leave to remain can claim SCP provided they have no public funds restriction on their visa. If your visa has a "no recourse to public funds" condition, SCP is classed as a public fund and you cannot claim — contact a solicitor or Citizens Advice Scotland if you're unsure.

Does Scottish Child Payment count toward the benefit cap?

No. Scottish Child Payment is specifically exempted from the benefit cap calculation. This is by design — it means families who are already at the benefit cap still receive the full SCP on top of their capped amount.

For comparison: English Child Benefit does count toward certain income thresholds (such as the high-income Child Benefit tax charge), but SCP is structured differently and doesn't create that complication.

If your child is in residential care

If your child is in local authority residential care full-time, Scottish Child Payment is suspended during the period of residential care. It does not stop permanently — if your child returns home, payments resume. Contact Social Security Scotland when circumstances change.

If your child is looked-after but lives at home (on a supervision requirement, for example), SCP continues as normal.

What’s different from England?

England has no direct equivalent. The nearest UK-wide payment is Child Benefit, which is £26.05 per week for the first child and £17.25 for subsequent children — lower, and not means-tested. In Scotland you get Child Benefit and SCP if you qualify.

Over the course of one child’s first 16 years, a qualifying Scottish family gets around £23,500 more than an English family with the same circumstances. That’s why “£25,000+ more in family support” is the headline stat for Scotland vs England benefits.