Scottish Child Payment is a new payment for families on tax credits or certain benefits to help towards the costs of looking after a child. It’s £40 paid every four weeks for each child under six. The payment starts on Monday 15 February 2021, with first payments made from the end of February onwards, but Social Security Scotland is taking applications now to help manage demand.
You can apply if your child will be under six on 15 February 2021. The qualifying benefits are:
Child Tax Credit
Income Support
Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Social Security Scotland will ask for evidence that the person applying is responsible for a child under six, usually through the child being named on a benefit claim form. If more than one person applies for the same child, there’s a process for deciding who gets the payment - prioritising the person who the child lives with most of the time.
Scottish Child Payment will not be taken into account for UK benefit and tax credit assessments and there is no cap on the amount of children this payment can support. First payments will be made from late February onwards. When someone gets paid will depend on how many applications we get and the process each individual application goes through.
If someone applies before Monday 15 February 2021, this will be the date that their payment will be calculated from. If they apply after this date, it will be calculated from the date that they applied. Payments will be made every four weeks following the first payment.
To find out more information and apply go to mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment or call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.
