The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that thousands of families receiving certain benefits will be eligible for a £40 weekly bonus from next year. This additional payment is part of the Scottish Child Payment scheme, which aims to help with the costs of raising a family.
What is the Scottish Child Payment?
The Scottish Child Payment is a weekly payment of £28.20 for every child under 16 that you care for. Payments are made every four weeks if your application is successful. Only one person can receive the payment per child. If two people apply for the same child, Social Security Scotland will determine who receives the payment through a process called a double claim, which depends on the benefits each person receives.
Who Can Apply?
You can apply whether you are working or not, as long as you or your partner receive Universal Credit or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Social Security Scotland also accepts claims if you are the sole recipient of Pension Credit, Income Support, or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Additional Payment for Families with Babies
Charis Chittick, head of policy, strategy and communications for One Parent Families Scotland, announced during a committee meeting: "Next year we are trialling an additional payment for families with a baby under one, to reflect the increased cost and risk of poverty in that first year. For those families, the payment will go up to £40 from the next financial year, that is from 2027."
She highlighted the positive impact of the Scottish Child Payment, stating: "Having measures like the Scottish Child Payment has made a significant difference for families. In the most recent child poverty stats, we see that in Scotland we have one in five children in poverty, compared with one in four across the UK. That shows the difference that having those different policy choices can make."
Ms Chittick added: "Families told us at that point that it paid for things such as swimming lessons that they could not otherwise afford. Now families are telling us that they could not live without it. They are having to use it to pay for their food shop because the cost of living has gone up so exponentially, yet we have not seen Universal Credit rise alongside it to help guarantee covering the essentials."
