The festive season should be one of joy. Yet for many families, Christmas will be spent facing the fear and uncertainty of having a seriously ill child in hospital.
At The Sick Children’s Trust, we make sure families can stay together during their child’s most critical moments. But we cannot do it alone. We need your vital support.
Without our ‘Homes from Home’, families would face an average of 82 minutes of travel each day to be by their child’s hospital bedside, or be forced to sleep in hospital chairs, expensive hotels that they can’t afford, or even in their cars.
The stress and worry of being unable to be with their seriously ill child is unimaginable, especially at Christmas time. We urgently need donations so we can continue supporting families at this extremely traumatic time.
Families like Frances and Jack experienced this first-hand when their baby son, Milo, developed life-threatening sepsis. They stayed with us at our Acorn House ‘Home from Home’ for ten days while Milo received specialist care at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
Frances said:“At Acorn House we had somewhere comfortable to sleep, a shower and shared kitchen, meaning we could look after ourselves as best we could while still being on the hospital grounds.
“We never wanted to leave Milo’s side, but The Sick Children’s Trust gave us the chance to rest while being able to return to the hospital in minutes should he take a turn for the worse. We can’t describe how grateful we are to have had that vital support.
“After making a full recovery Milo is now a happy, thriving eight-month-old. We’re really looking forward to celebrating Milo’s first Christmas, which is even more special when we think about how critically ill he was.”
This year has been tough for our charity, with rising costs and supporters feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis but this Christmas, we expect all ten of our ‘Homes from Home’ to be full. For families, it’s free.
For us, it costs £40 to support a family for just one night, and we rely entirely on voluntary donations to make this possible.
Please donate what you can to keep more families together this Christmas.
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy festive season.
New strategy to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030 – delivering the largest reduction in child poverty since records began
Support for working families to stop children growing up in B&Bs, expanding childcare for families on UC and helping parents save up to £500 on baby formula
Families struggling with the cost of living to benefit from wider support announced at budget including £150 off energy bills, increasing the living wage by £900 a year and removal of two-child limit
Part of the Government’s plan to deliver more security, opportunity, and respect for every family across the UK
Around 550,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by 2030 – the biggest reduction in a single parliament since records began – as the Government launches its Child Poverty Strategy today (Friday 5 December).
Following the reversal of the two-child limit, the strategy tackles the root causes of poverty by cutting the cost of essentials, boosting family incomes, and improving local services so every child has the best start in life.
The strategy found that children growing up in poverty do less well in school, are more likely to be unemployed when older and earn less throughout their lifetimes. Failure to tackle this problem has been holding back the economy, as well as stifling children’s potential.
New interventions in the strategy include more accessible childcare for working parents on Universal Credit. Childcare costs are one of the biggest barriers for parents who want to work and those starting or returning to jobs can particularly struggle to cover upfront childcare fees before they receive their first payslip.
From next year, the rules will change to make it easier for new parents who receive Universal Credit to get back to work by extending eligibility for upfront childcare costs to those returning from parental leave. This will prevent new parents from facing a debt trap meaning more parents can get back to work and get on in work faster.
To support more parents with more than two children into work, families who receive Universal Credit will also be able to get support with childcare costs for all their children.
Children living in temporary accommodation are living in one of the deepest forms of poverty, this has a devastating impact, particularly on children. A stay in temporary accommodation increases a child’s experience of family disruption, missed schooling and damage to physical and mental health.
The strategy will also end the unlawful placement of families in Bed and Breakfasts beyond the six-week limit. To support this, the Government is investing £8 million in Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots in 20 local authorities that have the highest use of Bed and Breakfasts for homeless families – continuing the programme for the next three years.
Alongside this, the government will provide £950 million through the fourth and largest round of the Local Authority Housing Fund from April 2026 to deliver up to 5,000 high-quality homes for better temporary accommodation by 2030. Further details will be set out in the upcoming Homelessness Strategy.
A new legal duty will also be introduced for councils to notify schools, health visitors, and GPs when a child is placed in temporary accommodation, so no child is left without support. This enables health and education providers to deliver a more joined up approach to support children experiencing homelessness.
The UK Government will also work with the NHS to end the practice of mothers with newborns being discharged to B&Bs or other forms of unsuitable housing.
The government will also support families with the cost of essentials by helping families to buy more affordable infant formula. The cost of some infant formula brands has risen by 25% in two years, putting pressure on families who cannot or choose not to breastfeed.
The government will set clear guidance for retailers that – together with allowing families to use loyalty points, vouchers, and gift cards to purchase formula – could save parents up to £540 in a baby’s first year and remove unnecessary barriers for low-income families.
Taken together, the measures in the strategy will lift 550,000 children out of relative low income at the end of this Parliament, with 7.1 million children seeing household incomes rise, including 1.4 million in deep material poverty – the largest reduction in child poverty by any Government in a single Parliament.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Every child deserves the best possible start in life, with their future no longer determined by the circumstances of their birth. Yet too many children are growing up in poverty, held back from getting on in life, and too many families are struggling without the basics: a secure home, warm meals, and the support they need to make ends meet.
“I will not stand by and watch that happen, because the cost of doing nothing is too high for children, for families, and for Britain.
“This is a moral mission for me. It’s about fairness, opportunity, and unlocking potential. Our strategy isn’t just about reversing the failures of the past, it sets a new course for national renewal, with children’s life chances at its heart.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden said: “Tackling child poverty is an investment in working families and our country’s future.
“There is a direct link between children in poverty growing up to be adults not in work, education or training – we cannot afford to waste a generation’s potential and talents.
“Our strategy will deliver support where families need it most, giving every child a good start in life and giving them the opportunity to succeed.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Child poverty is a stain on our country. I’ve seen the damage poverty does first hand, and bearing down on it sits at the very core of this government’s mission.
“This strategy, lifting over half a million children out of poverty, represents an historic moment for generations of families now and into the future.
“And whether it’s expanding free school meals, rolling out free breakfast clubs, or revitalising family services, we are determined to give every child the very best start in life.”
It comes as the Prime Minister visits a children centre in Wales today with the Welsh First Minister to meet families and children who are set to benefit from the interventions in the strategy.
It follows his visit to Glasgow yesterday where he spoke to Child Poverty Campaigners, MSPs, and other key partners to discuss the Government’s strategy to cut child poverty across the UK.
Stacey, from Changing Realities an organisation which has supported the development of the Child Poverty Strategy, discussed her experiences with the Prime Minister in Wales today. She said: “This strategy makes a good start to the essential work of addressing record levels of child poverty in this country.
“Lifting the two-child limit is a step on the road to investing in our children and our social security system, and can only be a good thing in lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.
“After championing the removal of the two-child limit over the last year, even though my own family won’t benefit it is great to finally feel listened to and knowing the difference this change will make.
“As a parent who knows first-hand the harm poverty causes, I stand ready and determined to continue the work required to ensure that no child in this country faces poverty. I call on all of us to do the same.”
Shortly after the election, the Prime Minister set up the Child Poverty Taskforce to bring together government and experts to explore how Government could use all its available levers to drive down child poverty.
This strategy is the first step on our road to ending child poverty and delivers on the commitment to reduce child poverty this parliament.
It comes as child poverty levels in the UK has reached a historic high. Today, 4.5 million children (around 31%) are living in relative poverty after housing costs, 900,000 more since 2010/11. Around 2.6 million children are growing up in households without enough food, and last year 1.1 million relied on food banks.
In England alone, more than 172,000 children are living in temporary accommodation and three quarters of children in poverty now come from working families.
Children growing up in poverty are more likely to not be in education, employment or training as an adult, earn less than their peers and less likely to achieve good GCSE results or do well at school.
Acting now will cost significantly less than the long-term consequences of poverty.
Tackling child poverty is not just a moral imperative – it is an investment in Britain’s future.
That’s why the Labour government is reversing the two-child limit in Universal Credit – a failed policy experiment that punished children and been one of the biggest drivers of hardship since its introduction in 2017.
The majority of families who will gain from the removal of the limit are in work. Around 300,000 children are in poverty directly because of this policy, equivalent to 100 children pushed into hardship every day. Without intervention, 150,000 more would have fallen into poverty by 2030.
Removing the two-child limit is the most cost-effective way to drive down child poverty rates – lifting 450,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this Parliament, rising to 550,000 alongside other measures such as the expansion of free school meals, help with energy bills and the government’s childcare offer.
Priya Edwards, senior research and policy manager at Save the Children UK, said: “Families will be better off under this plan with 7.1 million children seeing their household incomes boosted by the end of this Parliament.
“Scrapping the two-child limit to benefits, expanding free school meals, and increasing childcare support for families including for those returning to work after maternity leave are bold measures to improve childhoods’ – not the sticking plaster measures of the past.
“Ministers involved in creating the strategy listened extensively to children impacted by deep poverty over many months and we hope this way of working is used as a blueprint for creating policy in future that impacts young people.
“We welcome this expansive and historic plan, and we look forward to seeing the difference it can make to children’s lives in the years to come.”
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “here is no excuse for child poverty, which damages countless children’s lives every single day. This is the moment when we must draw a line in the sand – and as a country do everything in our power to turn the tide for children growing up in poverty and hardship.
“We applaud the publication of this Child Poverty Strategy. If fully delivered, the commitments made today have real potential to transform children’s lives. Our focus now is on ensuring these promises translate into action on the ground, helping to put food on tables, stability in households and hope back into children’s lives.
“We stand ready to work with government to help make that happen.”
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “This morning, the government published its full Child Poverty Strategy, setting out plans to reduce hardship for children growing up in the UK by the end of the parliament.
“It’s a crucial commitment to delivering on one of their central manifesto promises.”
For the first time, this government will also target reductions in deep material poverty as part of the strategy, which goes beyond a family’s income, to understand children’s experience of poverty and measures the number of children in the UK who are going without essentials such as three meals a day or growing up in a damp-free home.
Two million children (14%) are currently in deep material poverty, lacking at least 4 of 13 essential items.
This is a UK-wide strategy, with ministerial roundtables in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales which were attended by ministers of the respective nations, and ministers and officials having visited all the regions of England to meet with key child poverty representatives and visit frontline delivery projects.
Respecting devolution settlements and complementing work that is already underway in nations and regions is central to this strategy. Each nation has its own distinct devolution settlement which sets out powers to tackle child poverty.
These powers vary across nations, with some levers being devolved to the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while others remain reserved to the UK government.
Devolved governments also receive funding through the Barnett formula.
With case numbers for flu rising sharply this week, Public Health Scotland (PHS) is continuing to encourage those who are eligible to come forward to receive their vaccine.
New figures published today show that laboratory-confirmed cases of flu more than doubled in the past week, rising from 845 to 1,759.
Hospital admissions due to flu also increased by 70% in the past week, rising from 426 the previous week to 724.
Those aged 65 and over, pregnant women, and those with underlying health conditions are most at risk of serious flu illness, hospitalisation, and in some cases, death. This is why the flu vaccination programme is focussed on protecting those who are most vulnerable to becoming seriously ill with flu.
Early evidence from UKHSA shows that this year’s vaccine does a good job preventing severe disease, as measured by hospital admissions due to flu for the strains currently circulating in the UK.
Children are around 70-75% less likely to attend or be admitted to hospital with flu if vaccinated, and adults are around 30-40% less likely to attend or be admitted.
Dr Kim Marsh, Viral Respiratory Pathogens lead at Public Health Scotland, explains: “Flu can seriously disrupt anyone’s life but, for some people, flu hits harder. With case numbers of flu having risen again in the past week, we’re continuing to encourage those who are eligible to come forward to receive their flu vaccine. Vaccination remains the best way to help protect yourself against serious illness from flu.
“NHS Boards in Scotland are working at pace to deliver the winter vaccination programme and look forward to welcoming you for your appointment.
“For more information regarding eligibility and to book, or rearrange, your appointment visit nhsinform.scot/flu”
Pregnant women are strongly recommended to take up the vaccines, which will give them and their babies the best possible protection against serious illness from the viruses.
Everyone who works in the NHS and all frontline social care workers are also eligible for the flu vaccine this winter.
The flu vaccine is also being offered to all children from 2 years old to the end of secondary school, as well as children aged 6 months to 2 years old with a condition that puts them at increased risk of flu.
Look out for your invitation or book your appointment
Most people who are eligible for this year’s vaccination will now have received their invitations by text, email or post, in a white envelope with clear NHS Scotland branding.
Pregnant women can book an appointment online or via the national vaccination helpline, with further information available from midwives.
Those who work in the NHS and frontline social care workers may not receive an invitation and are encouraged to check local arrangements for eligible staff and book their appointment now.
Parents and carers should have received appointment letters by post, or consent forms in their child’s school bag, and are encouraged to take up the flu vaccine offer this winter.
What to do if you suspect you have flu
To prevent the spread of flu, we continue to recommend regular handwashing and advise people with symptoms of respiratory illness to stay off work or school and away from hospitals until you’re feeling better. Advice on how to recognise and manage flu-like symptoms is available at NHS Inform.
Some people may also be eligible for other vaccines, including RSV and COVID-19 this year. More information about the coronavirus vaccine, including who is eligible, is available on www.nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccine
Sustained improvement in mental health care for children and young people
Progress on waiting times for children and young people waiting for specialist mental health care has been maintained for a year, according to the latest statistics.
New figures from Public Health Scotland show that between July and September, 91.5% of children and young people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This exceeds the national standard of 90%.
CAMHS provides specialist NHS support for children and young people with serious mental health needs. To provide alternatives to this specialist service, over £80 million has been invested in community mental health services, plus £16 million a year for school counselling.
From this year, £15 million annually will go to local authorities to maintain community-based support for children and young people who need it.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Tom Arthur said: “I welcome the continued progress in these specialist children and adolescent mental health services.
“Over the last year, these services have exceeded the national standard, with 91.5% of children and young people starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS in the latest quarter.
“This achievement is down to the dedication of our CAMHS staff, who work tirelessly to support families during some of their most difficult moments. We have invested significantly in strengthening services, increasing CAMHS staffing by more than 50% over the last decade and exceeding our commitment to fund 320 additional posts by 2026.
“Local CAMHS teams are responding quickly, with half of all children and young people beginning treatment within five weeks. We are also seeing positive signs, with the overall CAMHS waiting list decreasing by 5.3% in the previous year.
“While we continue working with Boards to reduce waiting lists, we recognise that services remain under pressure and that performance may vary in coming months. There is still more to do to ensure performance is consistent across the country, and we are supporting all NHS Boards to meet the standard and continue delivering improvements.”
Latest figures highlight 128 children waiting more than a year for mental health treatment
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, is calling for parity of action and parity of spend as new figures highlight that 128 children and young people have been waiting more than a year for mental health treatment in Scotland.
These figures were highlighted in the latest waiting time statistics from Public Health Scotland published yesterday (2nd December, indicating that 128 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the quarter ending September 2025.
This is an increase from 115 for the same period last year.
Additionally, 277 individuals have been waiting between nine months and a year for treatment.
This comes against the background of a mental health emergency, with an increasing demand on services, exacerbated by the long shadow of the Covid lockdown and cost-of-living crisis.
The Scottish Government’s target, dating back to December 2014, is for 90 per cent of children and young people to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, cases of poor mental health in children and young people were at unprecedented levels, with overstretched and under-resourced services struggling to keep pace with growing demand.
However, despite this greatly increased demand, only 0.82 per cent of the total frontline NHS budget was spent on CAMHS in the 2023/24 financial year, amounting to £134.188 million (real terms). This equates to just 82p in every £100 of the NHS budget. 2
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The latest figures highlighting that 128 children and young people have been waiting over a year for mental health treatment are extremely alarming.
“While the fact that the Scottish Government is meeting its waiting time target is to be welcomed, many children and young people are still waiting years for help, which worsens their mental health and is a sure-fire way to add to their pain.
“What we need is not just parity of esteem between mental health and physical health, it’s parity of action and parity of spend.
“We are facing a mental health emergency, and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels as they battle with the long shadow of lockdown and the rising cost of living. This is also having a negative impact on classroom behaviour, affecting the young people concerned, their fellow pupils and staff.
“Each one of these statistics is an individual, and we would urge the Scottish Government to ensure the adequate resourcing of mental health services for our children and young people so that they can get the care and support they need, without lengthy waits.”
A Leith shop will be transformed into a magical Santa’s grotto this week – providing gifts to local children for free
Who: Santa Claus
What: A free event to meet Santa, take photos, and receive a small gift if on the nice list
Where: Utilita Energy Hub, 41 Newkirkgate, Edinburgh, EH6 6AA
When: Friday, 5 December 2025, from 11:30am to 3:00pm
Cost: Free, but please bring a food donation for a local food bank
Energy supplier, Utilita, will provide a different kind of energy this winter, transforming its Leith shop into a sparkling Christmas grotto on Friday, 5 December between 11:30am and 3pm.
The free event at the Utilita Energy Hub in Newkirgate aims to deliver relief to families facing a tough winter ahead, providing free presents to children as many families struggle with the cost of living crisis. Guests attending the festive day out are asked to bring one food item that will be donated to a local foodbank.
Gifts are aimed at young children up to the age of 10, but anyone is welcome to meet and take a photo with Santa Claus. There will be one gift per child, free of charge, while stocks last.
Natasha Baillie, Supervisor at the Leith Hub, said she is hoping the grotto will spread some festive cheer: “We’re looking forward to welcoming families and children to our Energy Hub this Friday, 5 December. Excited youngsters will get an opportunity to take photos with Santa Claus and receive a free gift between 11.30am and 3pm.
“There’s plenty on offer for visiting adults too – you will be offered a cuppa, as well as free and simple energy advice to help make your energy spend go further this winter. Visitors are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item – if they can – which will be distributed to our local Food Bank.”
Utilita’s high street hubs make it super simple to manage your energy – no phone lines or online dashboards, just a friendly face to speak to. Whether you’re looking for account support, help to manage your spend or energy-saving advice, Utilita’s Energy Experts are on hand to help.
Utilita began a roll out of Energy Hubs in 2018 across the UK to provide a personal touch to their customer service, opening their Edinburghbranch in 2020. The hub has helped thousands of locals better control their energy usage as well as supporting various community initiatives.
The hub’s Community Room provides local groups and charities with a free, warm and safe space for them to hold meetings or community events, with complimentary WiFi and refreshments available.
The Utilita Leith Energy Hub is open from Monday to Saturday at 41 Newkirkgate, Edinburgh, EH6 6AA and anyone interested in using the hub’s dedicated community space free-of-charge can book a session by emailing edinburgh@utilita.co.uk.
The children of Amazon employees in Dunfermline are one step closer to becoming lifesavers after taking part in a special first aid and CPR training session at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline.
The mini medics course welcomed 23 Amazon employees and their children for a fun and interactive session that introduced them to essential first aid skills, learning how to check for danger and practising CPR techniques.
Mini Medics is a basic first aid course designed for children between the ages of seven and 16. The course introduces children to health knowledge, lifesaving skills and administering first aid.
Jamie Strain, General Manager at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline, said: “First aid and CPR are important skills for young people to have and I’m pleased that our mini medics course has been so popular with our employees and their families.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to our colleague, Anna, for facilitating the training for our team.”
Anna Soltysiak, an associate at Amazon in Dunfermline who led the training, added: “The children who attended our mini medics events were enthusiastic and keen learners. I had a great time teaching them about first aid.
“It’s important for young people to have basic medical skills, as it may one day help save a life.”
Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded The Big House Multibank in Fife with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need.
The Multibank network has now donated more than 12 million surplus goods to over 800,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, London, Tees Valley and Birmingham. This year, the Multibank will send 1 million orders to families across the UK.
Amazon has supported more than one million students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.
Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.
CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed the news that the controversial two-child benefit cap limit is to be scrapped at last.
Poverty Alliance Chief Executive Peter Kelly said: “The Chancellor’s decision to fully scrap the unjust two-child limit is the right thing to do.
For eight years, this cruel policy has severed the link between what families across the country need and the support they are entitled to, pushing children into poverty and limiting their potential. Our children deserve better.
“Campaigners across Scotland have been unified in their demand to scrap the two-child limit and we are pleased that the UK Government has listened, sending a strong message that every child in this country matters.
“The end of this policy must be the starting point of reform which ensures that our social security system truly provides security.
“This decision also frees up money earmarked for the mitigation of the policy in the Scottish budget. Coupled with the additional £820 million allocated to the Scottish Government in this Budget, this will allow further investment in the action we know is needed to meet our child poverty targets, including increases to the Scottish Child Payment.
“Boosting the minimum wage will help low-paid workers who are struggling to cover basic costs. Many are already worried about heating bills.
“While steps to reduce energy costs are welcome, they fall short of a true social tariff that guarantees everyone has access to life’s essentials.
“Much needed investment in home energy efficiency must also be protected to improve homes and secure long-term saving for low-income households.
“The UK Government must raise revenue to invest in our shared national priorities, like tackling child poverty and increasing living standards. It’s right that the Chancellor has turned to those with the biggest assets to contribute more.
“This is a positive step towards building a fairer system of taxation, but we need to go much further, with a bold, renewed approach to tax that puts justice and compassion at its heart.”
Canopy Kitchen & Courtyard, part of The University of Edinburgh, is joining forces with Simpsons Special Care Babies (SSCB) to mark the charity’s 40th anniversary with a Tree of Light installation honouring families supported by the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
The installation will be housed at Canopy Kitchen & Courtyard, the contemporary café restaurant located in the University’s Futures Institute, at the former site of Edinburgh’s Old Royal Infirmary, and will form the centrepiece of a special lighting ceremony on Saturday 29 November, creating a heartfelt moment of remembrance for families who have experienced the loss of a baby and offering a place of comfort at a time of year that can be especially difficult.
The free event, scheduled for 15:30, will welcome those who have had experiences at the Neonatal Unit – from children to their family and friends.
For many, the holiday season is a time of warmth and togetherness, yet it can also bring reflection and grief for loved ones lost. For families who have experienced the loss of a baby, the Tree of Light will stand until early January as a symbol of remembrance and healing.
With 1 in 8 babies requiring the Neonatal Unit’s support, it is hoped that the funds raised through this event will enable SSCB to purchase state-of-the-art equipment, support continued neonatal staff training and provide essential support to families during challenging times.
Tracey Ritchie, Assistant Head of Catering Operations, expressed her pride in hosting this event: “At Canopy, we’re proud to create a warm, welcoming space where people can relax and feel cared for.
“Being based in the former Simpson Memorial Maternity Hospital makes hosting this event especially meaningful. We know this time of year can be emotional, and we’re honoured to offer Simpson’s families a place to pause, reflect and remember.
“Having the Tree of Light here, in a building so deeply connected to the charity’s past, feels like a fitting way to mark their 40th year. We’re delighted to host it and look forward to supporting Simpsons Special Care Babies in the months ahead.”
Those interested in supporting this cause can donate to SSCB through their website.
Free tickets must be booked in advance through the charity’s website.
Social Security Scotland’s Scottish Child Payment is supporting 322,230 children across the country, newly published figures show.
Launched in February 2021, the Scotland-only benefit gives families with low incomes crucial financial support to help with the cost of raising children.
The weekly payment of £27.15 is paid every four weeks for every eligible child under the age of 16 within a household.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s top priority and a national mission.
“This support is helping parents and carers with the essential costs of raising children and is contributing to lowering child poverty rates in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK.
“That progress is the result of our decision to invest in measures that directly support household budgets and improve the wellbeing of children.
“While we should recognise the positive impact this is having for thousands of families, we know there is still much more to do. One child in poverty is one too many, and we remain firmly committed to doing everything we can to support families and give every child the best possible start in life.
“Scottish Child Payment continues to be a central part of that mission, and these figures demonstrate why this support is so important to communities across Scotland.”
