184,000 getting £25 Scottish Child Payment

£155 million in payments since introduction in February 2021

There were 184,000 children and young people getting £25 per week in Scottish Child Payment by the end of 2022, latest statistics show. 

The figure includes 78,000 who have received it since the payment was extended to include children aged between six and 16 in November. 

Social Security Scotland had provided decisions to just over half the people who applied on the extension of the payment by the end of 2022.

Decisions for the majority of people who applied or added additional children to their award between 14 November and 31 December 2022 have now been issued and this will be reported on in the next round of statistics.

Scottish Child Payment was announced in the summer of 2019, with the first payments being made in February 2021.

Since then it has risen from £10 per week per child to £25 per week per child – a 150% increase in value.

It means that the amount paid out to children totals £155 million until the end of last year.

Ahead of extending Scottish Child Payment to under-16s, local authorities also made more than 1.1 million Bridging Payments across 2021 and 2022 to the families of school age children worth a total of £169.3 million.

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: ““These figures demonstrate our commitment to tackling child poverty and the significant financial support we have made available to meet that aim.

“This is just a snapshot of all the work being done since Scottish Child Payment was extended and increased until the end of 2022.

“We’ve since processed tens of thousands more applications.

“This represents remarkable progress in the delivery of the most ambitious child poverty reduction measure in the UK.

“That increased payment of £1,300 per child per year is now benefitting families across Scotland.

“We want to make sure that everyone gets the help available to them. Parents or carers who are on universal credit, tax credits or other benefits and who have children under 16 should check through Social Security Scotland if they are eligible.”