Scottish Child Payment: a weekly payment for families in Scotland

Scottish Child Payment — a benefit only Scotland provides — helps families with children. It is one of the payments administered by Social Security Scotland.

How much is paid?

The payment is £26.70 a week for each child you look after. It is paid every four weeks.

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For which children?

It is paid for children under 16. Only one person can get the payment for a child: if two people apply for the same child, Social Security Scotland follows a set process to decide who receives it.

Does it affect other benefits?

Scottish Child Payment does not reduce other UK or Scottish benefits you or your household receive. But local council top‑ups or grants can sometimes depend on it, so check with your council.

Who qualifies and how to apply

Eligibility is usually linked to receiving certain low‑income benefits, and you apply and check the conditions through Social Security Scotland. There is a free phone line, 0800 182 2222, which also helps where two people claim for one child.

Worth knowing

This payment is part of a "family package" of five Scottish payments, which also includes Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods — grants and food support for pregnant people and families with young children. They share one application form, so it is worth checking all the payments your family may be entitled to. The payment applies only in Scotland: families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland cannot get it.

How does it fit with other payments?

Scottish Child Payment does not replace but tops up the benefits paid across the UK by the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions), such as Child Benefit and Universal Credit. So a family in Scotland can receive both at the same time.

If your circumstances change — another child is born, or your income or household changes — you must tell Social Security Scotland so the payment stays correct. You can apply online, by phone or on paper; the service helps you fill in the form, for free. Because one form covers all five Scottish family payments, it is worth checking your entitlement to Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods at the same time.

In short: the payment is £26.70 a week for each child under 16, paid every four weeks, and it does not reduce other benefits. You can apply and check the conditions through Social Security Scotland, including by a free phone line.