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What is Scottish child payment?

Scottish child payment is a top-up of £27.15 a week per child. It is aimed at low income families in Scotland with a child or children aged under 16. It is administered and paid by Social Security Scotland. It is paid four-weekly, in arrears.

What is kinship care?

Where a child is not able to live with their parents they sometimes go and live full-time with relatives or friends. This is often called ‘kinship care’. Sometimes this is a formal arrangement made through the courts, by the local authority or by the children’s hearing system, sometimes it is less formal and arranged within the family. This page provides information on which kinship carers can get Scottish child payment for the child or children they care for.

Who is entitled to Scottish child payment?

You are entitled to Scottish child payment if you:

  • normally live in Scotland, and
  • are entitled to one of the following benefits: universal credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, and
  • are ‘responsible for’ a child aged under 16.

You are ’responsible for’ a child if at least one of the following applies to you or your partner:

  • you get child benefit for the child
  • the child is included in your claim for universal credit or pension credit
  • you are a kinship carer for the child and either you have a kinship care order in respect of the child or the child is looked after by the local authority and placed with you.

What if more than one person applies?

Only one person can get Scottish child payment for a particular child, but there may be more than one person who could, potentially, qualify. If more than one person who could qualify applies, there are rules for whose claim takes priority. Social Security Scotland decides entitlement in the following order of priority:

  • The person who is responsible for the child for the purpose of universal credit, child tax credit or pension credit
  • If no-one is responsible for the child for the purpose of universal credit, child tax credit or pension credit, the person who has been awarded child benefit for the child unless the other person is kinship carer for the child in which case the kinship carer has priority. Kinship carer means that you have a kinship care order for the child or you are a kinship carer for a child who is looked after by the local authority and placed with you. 

In certain situations, Social Security Scotland can decide whose claim takes priority according to the circumstances of the child.

Other benefits

Scottish child payment does not count as income for any other means-tested benefits you are getting. If you are getting a ‘kinship care allowance’ from the local authority, the local authority should not deduct Scottish child payment from the amount you get.

How to claim Scottish child payment

To make a claim: