Scottish Child Payment

To be eligible for Scottish Child Payment you must:

• Be the main carer of a child who is under 16
• Both you and the child must usually live in Scotland
• Be receiving one of the following qualifying benefits at the time of your application:
  • Universal Credit (any amount — there is no minimum UC award)
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Working Tax Credit (only if you also receive a disability or severe disability element)
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Pension Credit

There is no two-child limit for SCP — unlike Universal Credit (which only provides child elements for a maximum of two children born after April 2017), Scottish Child Payment can be claimed for every child in the household who meets the age and other criteria.

SCP is a payment to the main carer — if there is a dispute about who is the main carer, Social Security Scotland will consider factors such as who the child lives with most of the time, who claims Child Benefit, and who makes day-to-day decisions about the child's welfare.

Scottish Child Payment is £26.70 per week per eligible child (2024–25 rate). It is paid every 4 weeks — so you receive £106.80 per child every 4 weeks.

There is no cap on the number of children — if you have four eligible children, you receive £107.80 × 4 = £427.20 every 4 weeks.

SCP is:

• Non-taxable — it does not count as income for income tax purposes.
• Not counted as income for UC: SCP is excluded from the income calculation for Universal Credit, so receiving SCP does not reduce your UC award.
• Paid in addition to: Child Benefit, child elements of UC or tax credits, and other Scottish benefits such as Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.

The rate is reviewed annually by the Scottish Government and is intended to increase in line with inflation.

Apply for Scottish Child Payment through Social Security Scotland:

1. Online: Apply at socialsecurity.gov.scot/claim/scottish-child-payment — this is the quickest method. You will need your National Insurance number, details of the qualifying benefit you receive, and information about the children you are applying for.
2. By phone: Call 0800 182 2222 to apply by phone or request a paper application form.
3. By post: Return a completed paper form to Social Security Scotland.

You apply once for all eligible children — you do not need to make separate applications for each child. If a new child joins your household (for example, through birth or a change in care arrangements), you should notify Social Security Scotland and they will add the new child to your claim.

Payments are made directly into your bank account every 4 weeks. If you do not have a bank account, contact Social Security Scotland to discuss alternative payment arrangements.

When to apply: You can apply as soon as you are receiving a qualifying benefit and have an eligible child. There is no time limit and no deadline — you can claim at any time. Backdating is limited, so apply as soon as possible.

You must tell Social Security Scotland promptly if your circumstances change. Key changes to report include:

• You stop receiving the qualifying benefit
• You move out of Scotland
• A child reaches 16 or leaves your care
• A new child joins your household
• Your bank account details change

Social Security Scotland will periodically review your eligibility automatically, using data shared with DWP about your qualifying benefit status. However, you must still report changes as they happen rather than waiting for a review.

If your qualifying benefit ends (for example, if your UC award reduces to zero because of increased earnings), your SCP will also stop. If your qualifying benefit restarts, you can re-apply for SCP — you may not need to complete a full new application if your circumstances are otherwise unchanged.