Overview
- Official figures released in late May and early June show 321,885 children in Scotland are receiving the Scottish Child Payment, with the government estimating about 94% take‑up among eligible families.
- The Scottish Child Payment currently pays £28.20 a week per eligible child and is disbursed every four weeks, providing families with £112.80 for one child each payment cycle.
- The Scottish Government has pledged a premium rate of £40 a week for children under one from 2027, which ministers say will increase support in the child’s first year of life.
- Applications opened on June 1 for the Best Start Grant School Age Payment, a one‑off payment of about £339.65 for children born between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022, and eligible households already on Scottish Child Payment will receive it automatically.
- The government estimates the Scottish Child Payment will keep roughly 50,000 children out of relative poverty in 2026–27, lowering immediate household costs for essentials and reducing pressure at school entry while shaping the wider child‑poverty strategy.