Scottish Child Payment

Scottish Child Payment

Scottish Child Payment is £27.15 per week and is paid for each child up to their 16th birthday.

Who can get it?

You can apply whether you’re in work or not, as long as you are getting one or more of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit, or waiting for your first payment of Universal Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and Child Benefit on their own are not qualifying benefits for Scottish Child Payment. You must be getting  or waiting on the outcome of one of the benefits above.

If you are a kinship carer, you can apply for Scottish Child Payment if you can show you look after the child you are the kinship carer for. This can be:

• a letter from your local authority
• a copy of a legal order for example a Kinship Care Order or Guardianship Order

How to apply

You can apply online here: Apply online for the Scottish Child Payment on Social Security Scotland

You can also apply via the Social Security Scotland freephone helpline on 0800 182 2222 or ask for an application form to be sent to you that you can fill in and return.

Applications for children aged 6 to 15 inclusive have been taken since November 14 2022. You should apply as soon as possible, to ensure you get all the payments you are entitled to.

If you already getting Scottish Child Payments for children under 6 you can add other children to your existing claim online or by calling the Social Security Scotland freephone helpline – 0800 182 2222

If you included your mobile number on your application, you will receive a text every two weeks to update you on the progress of your application until you receive your decision letter.

How it is paid

The Scottish Child Payment is paid every 4 weeks into your bank account. It may be some weeks before you receive your first payment as it will take time to process your application, but it will be backdated to when you applied.

Free school meals

All children in primary 1 to 5, at schools (and special schools) run by their local council or funded by the Scottish Government, can get free school lunches during term-time. 

Your child could get free school meals after primary 5 if you get:

• Universal Credit (where your monthly income is not higher than £850)
• Scottish Child Payment
• Income Support
• income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
• income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

If your child is 16-18 years old and receives any of these benefits for themself, they can also claim free school meals.

For more information and how to apply see: Free School Meals.