Scottish Child Payment

Description

Scotland-only weekly payment of £28.20 for every child under 16 in a low-income family, paid every 4 weeks by Social Security Scotland on top of Child Benefit and Universal Credit. There's no limit on the number of children, and you don't need to be in work. It has no equivalent in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The Scottish Government has also announced a higher rate of £40 a week for babies under 1 from 2027-28, which isn't in payment yet.

Eligibility summary

• Available in: Scotland.
• Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
• Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance.

Notes

Verified Oct 2026. The £28.20 rate is shown directly on mygov.scot's Scottish Child Payment page and in gov.scot / Social Security Scotland's May 2026 '321,000 children' release (a 3.8% uprating from April 2026). The qualifying-benefit list was read off mygov.scot's 'who should apply' page; that page's footer says 'last updated 14 Nov 2022', but the benefit list matches how the rate page is worded today. The under-1 premium (£40/week for each eligible baby) was announced in the 13 January 2026 Scottish Budget for introduction during 2027-28; it is deliberately not included in the amount fields until it's in payment. A benefit sanction or deduction doesn't stop you applying. Not modelled on Profile.ageBand, since eligibility turns on the child's age.

Requirement

You live in Scotland, you or your partner are the main person looking after a child under 16 (birth parents, partners and kinship carers can all apply), and you or your partner get Universal Credit or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, or Pension Credit, Income Support or income-related ESA where you alone are named on the award. Child Benefit alone doesn't qualify. The child must be named on a Child Benefit, Universal Credit or Pension Credit claim (kinship carers can use a council letter or legal order instead).