Who is eligible for the Scottish Child Payment and how does it work?

Full answer

The Scottish Child Payment is a devolved benefit delivered by Social Security Scotland, not by HMRC or DWP, so it is separate from UK-wide child support such as Child Benefit. It is aimed at lower-income families and is paid per eligible child to help with the costs of raising children. To qualify you generally must live in Scotland, be the main person responsible for a child under 16, and be receiving a qualifying low-income benefit such as Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, or Child Tax Credit/Working Tax Credit (where still in payment). Either you or your partner can claim if you meet the conditions, but only one payment is made per child. The payment is made regularly (every four weeks) for each eligible child and does not reduce your other benefits. It is not means-tested beyond the requirement to be on a qualifying benefit, so there is no separate income taper applied to the Scottish Child Payment itself; eligibility instead flows from the underlying benefit. This card does not contain the current weekly rate, and benefit rates are uprated periodically, so I will not quote a figure that could be out of date. For the exact amount per child, the precise list of qualifying benefits, and how to apply, check mygov.scot or contact Social Security Scotland directly. You can apply online, by phone, or by post, and you should report changes such as moving out of Scotland or a child turning 16. Who it affects: families resident in Scotland on a qualifying benefit. Families elsewhere in the UK are not eligible, though they may receive other support such as Child Benefit and the child element of Universal Credit. Because this is a Scotland-specific, non-taxable benefit, none of the UK Income Tax or National Insurance calculators apply to it directly; use official Scottish Government guidance to confirm your entitlement.