People who are due a payment between Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April over the Easter bank holiday, will receive it by the end of Thursday 2 April.
Best Start Food payments are not affected.
All other payment dates will stay the same.
Scottish Government benefits delivered by Social Security Scotland are being increased by 3.8%, in line with inflation as measured by the annual rate of September 2025 Consumer Prices Index.
The earnings limit for Carer Support Payment will also be increased to £204 per week.
These increases will take effect from tomorrow – 1 April 2026.
More information is available on the Scottish Government website.
One parent families are being urged to check if they are eligible for social security support this National Single Parents Day (21 March 2026).
Lone parent families make up 24% of all families in Scotland with 87% headed by women. As one of the household types most vulnerable to financial pressures, they are disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis, often cutting back on essentials. Research shows 70% have no or low savings and are more likely to be in debt or arrears.
Social Security Scotland’s package of support for families – including Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, could make a difference to household budgets. Updated calculations for 2026/27 show they could be worth £11,000 by the time an eligible child turns six, and around £26,000 by the time a child turns 16. This compares to less than £2,000 for families in England and Wales, where support ends when an eligible child turns four.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville is urging all parents and carers — including single parents — to find out if they are eligible.
Ms Somerville said: “We know that families are struggling to make ends meet and National Single Parents Day is a timely reminder that lone parent families are particularly vulnerable, but help is available.
“The Scottish Government is providing families right across Scotland with the best cost-of-living support package in the UK. This financial support can boost household incomes and help families pay for everyday essentials such as nutritious food and clothes, helping to ensure a child’s circumstances doesn’t stop them getting the best start in life.”
Satwat Rehman, Chief Executive of One Parent Families Scotland, added: “Too many single parents are still facing the daily challenge of making ends meet. With four in ten children in single parent families living in poverty, financial support such as the Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grants can make a real difference.
“These payments provide vital help directly to families who need it most, easing the pressure of rising living costs and helping ensure children have the essentials they need to thrive. One Parent Families Scotland is proud to continue working alongside Social Security Scotland to support single parents understand and access the support they are entitled to.”
Michelle Goldie, a single mum of three from Edinburgh said: “As a single parent, Scottish Child Payment has been a huge help to me. I have three young daughters, and the extra money allows us to do activities together and enables the girls to attend clubs.
“I feel that there is a stigma around being a single parent and around asking for help which is a shame as it may put people off from applying. I encourage all parents, including single parents, to check if they are eligible for support and get the help they are entitled to. It may make all the difference.”
National Single Parents Day is celebrated annually on 21 March to recognise the dedication of single parents and highlight available support.
Financial support for unpaid carers in Scotland is being strengthened in recognition of their vital role.
From yesterday (Monday 16 March) carers who look after more than one person for at least 20 hours a week will be able to claim the new Carer Additional Person Payment, worth over £500 a year for each additional cared-for person.
The new payment is part of a package of measures to improve carer support, with carers in Scotland now better off than anywhere else in the UK.
Other improvements include extending Carer Support Payment following the death of the cared-for person from 8 to 12 weeks and replacing Carer’s Allowance Supplement with Scottish Carer Supplement which will be paid alongside Carer Support Payment rather than in two annual payments as it is currently – meaning carers receive extra support more consistently and regularly.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Making sure unpaid carers are recognised for their important role has been paramount for me in my time as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, so I’m incredibly proud that the latest improvements to support are now in place.
“Unpaid carers are the backbone of our communities, providing vital care and support for those closest to them. Carer Additional Person Payment will go further in recognising the impact caring for multiple people can have on a carer and this will make a difference to thousands of families.
“Social security is a human right and something that anyone may need at any point in their life. I would encourage any carers who might be eligible to get in touch with Social Security Scotland to find out more about the support available to them.”
This is the latest in a series of improvements to support for carers which are unique to Scotland, and includes the extension of Young Carer Grant to 19-year-olds and the extension of Carer Support Payment to more people in education.
Dawn Williamson, from Penicuik in Midlothian, cares for her 12-year-old daughter, who has autism, as well as her elderly parents and uncle.
She welcomed the news of increased financial support for carers with multiple caring responsibilities from Social Security Scotland.
Ms Williamson said: “It’s amazing that there is this acknowledgement for people who do look after more than one disabled person. It’s improving things for every carer out there who manages care for multiple people.
“When it comes to applying for support, I always say, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. It makes a real difference. Getting Carer Support Payment – it felt like I was getting recognition for the job that I had to do, looking after my daughter. If it wasn’t there, I don’t know how we would have got by.”
People may be missing out on social security support they are entitled to due to stigma around social security, new research shows.
Independent research commissioned by Social Security Scotland found that while nine in ten (91%) people agree anyone could need financial support when their circumstances change – four in ten (39%) say applying would make them feel less positive about themselves. This rises to almost half (48%) among 16 to 34-year-olds.
The survey also shows how negative portrayals could be fuelling this. Three quarters (75%) of people believe those who receive social security support are portrayed negatively by politicians and/or the media. Almost four in ten (39%) of people surveyed agreed people who receive social security are judged negatively by their family and friends.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Everyone should be able to access support without fear or shame, and these findings reinforce why we are delivering social security differently in Scotland — through a system rooted in dignity, fairness and respect.
“From the language we use to how we deliver our services – we designed our social security system based on feedback from people with lived experience. This has included using more compassionate language in letters, providing help in a format or language that best suits the individual and offering help with applications online, over the phone and in person. We all share responsibility for talking about social security with kindness – words matter.
“We’ll continue to work with clients and stakeholders to make further improvements and help break down the barriers that stop too many people getting the help they are entitled to.”
David Reilly, Communities and Networks Manager at Poverty Alliance added: “Our social security is a public good like the NHS – it’s there for everybody, especially those who need it most.
“There are 1.1 million people in Scotland who are struggling today on a low income – they have the same right to thrive as everybody else.
“But prejudice and negative stereotypes, often starting in our media and politics, then trickling down into our own communities and families – this unfair judgement can hold people back from reaching out and claiming what they’re entitled to – sometimes to the point of starvation and destitution. That’s simply wrong.
“Together, we can stand up for each other and reclaim the idea of social security as a basic human right, and a foundation that allows people to build better futures for themselves and their households.”
Karen Wylie, Policy and Participation Manager at Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) added: “GDA hears from our members that disability benefits are a lifeline not a luxury for disabled people.
“In our survey conducted in October 2025, we heard that stigma played a significant, prohibitive role in how and when people apply for benefits.
“Our members call for a change in narrative around social security so that it’s seen as a human right that not only covers the basics but also covers the additional costs of being disabled and enables people to live full and participative lives with choice and control.”
APPLICATIONS CLOSE 28th FEBRUARY
Parents and carers are being encouraged to apply for over £300 of School Age Payment support before the deadline on Friday 28 February 2026.
Find out more: http://bit.ly/SchoolAgePaymentInfo
Scottish Child Payment has supported more than 241,000 parents and carers since its launch five years ago, helping put over £1.3 billion into the pockets of low-income families.
An increase to the payment for children under one will be introduced during 2027/28, estimated to benefit around 12,000 children and could be worth an extra £500 a year for each eligible child.
The payment, which is only available in Scotland, provides families with £27.15 a week, rising to £28.20 from April 2026, for every eligible child under 16. Latest figures show more than 322,000 children are benefiting from the payment as of September 2025.
Scottish Child Payment, and other family payments delivered by Social Security Scotland could be worth around £25,000 by a child’s 16th birthday — compared with less than £2,000 in England and Wales, where support ends at age four.
It is estimated that Scottish Child Payment will keep 40,000 children out of relative poverty in 2025-26, with the relative child poverty rate lower than without the payment in place. Clear evidence that the payment is central to the Scottish Government’s mission to eradicate child poverty.
On a visit to Home-Start Edinburgh to meet with parents and children benefiting from the payment, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:
“Scottish Child Payment has improved the lives of thousands of children and families across Scotland over the last five years. And our plans to raise the weekly payment to £40 for eligible children under one shows the Scottish Government’s level of ambition and determination to end child poverty in Scotland.
“This payment helps ease the pressure on family budgets and forms part of the best cost-of-living support package in the UK. It helps pay for essentials like food and clothing, things that people who are better off may take for granted but which children in these households might otherwise go without. I urge families to check if they are eligible.”
Eliza Waye, CEO of Home-Start Edinburgh, added: “Early childhood experiences are foundational to lifelong wellbeing and support better outcomes across health, education, wellbeing and more.
“The Scottish Child Payment plays a vital role in easing pressure on families and helps ensure children grow up in a more equitable environment. Despite this, being a parent is incredibly hard.
“At Home-Start, we support parents to overcome the challenges they face; helping them build confidence and connect to networks of support. The combination of financial and community support enables the investment in families and children to go further.”
Scottish Child Payment opened for applications on 15 February in 2021 and began as a £10 per child, per week payment. It has increased by more than 170% since then. For 2026-27 Scottish Child Payment will increase to £28.20 per child per week, in line with inflation.
Over £1.3 billion worth of Scottish Child Payments have been issued to more than 241,000 individual parents and carers by 30 September 2025.
Over 1.5 million winter heating payments, including more than a million payments to older people, have been made so far this winter.
The vast majority of Pension Age Winter Heating Payments – more than 1,009,000 – have now been paid. The payment has replaced the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland and is paid at a higher rate than elsewhere in the UK.
The benefit, delivered by Social Security Scotland for the first time this winter, is designed to help people aged 66 and over with the cost of heating a home in the colder winter months.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment is just one element of the unique package of winter support available in Scotland.
Child Winter Heating Payment supports families caring for children with the highest disability support needs. Over 44,000 payments have now been made.
Winter Heating Payment is a reliable, annual payment that is not triggered by weather. People can get the payment if they receive certain benefits, with over 454,500 payments made this winter so far.
Social Security Scotland’s winter payments are issued automatically in most cases.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “As the cost of heating homes continues to rise, I’m incredibly proud of the extra support which we’ve made available this winter, with over 1.5 million payments made in total.
“Our package of winter heating support, which is stronger than anywhere else in the UK, provides the helping hand that many families and individuals need to manage their bills in the winter – without waiting for temperatures to hit a certain level.”
Lynn Campbell, senior welfare rights lead at Glasgow’s Golden Generation, a charity supporting older adults in the city, said: “Pension Age Winter Heating Payment means a great deal to many older adults. It will help alleviate the stress and worry associated with rising heating costs.
“This additional financial assistance provides reassurance to them, their families, and their carers that they have not been forgotten and that their past contribution to society is recognised and valued.”
People who have chosen to defer their State Pension are encouraged to apply for this year’s Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
The payment has been made automatically to most people over the age of 66 this winter, but some people in this age group will need to apply for the benefit. People who have deferred their State Pension since they were last paid Pension Age Winter Heating Payment or the Winter Fuel Payment will need to apply.
They can apply by phone or by post. The deadline to apply for winter 2025 to 2026 is 31 March 2026.
People in Edinburgh who lose someone over the winter months are encouraged to apply for support to help with funeral costs.
Funeral Support Payment is delivered by Social Security Scotland and is available to people living in Scotland who receive certain benefits.
The payment can help cover some of the cost of a funeral and can be used towards funerals for a baby, child or adult. The payment also covers funerals for babies who are stillborn.
More than £66 million has been paid to over 33,000 bereaved people since Funeral Support Payment launched in 2019.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “A bereavement is one of the hardest things a person can experience. On top of their grief, people often face the staggering costs of paying for the funeral.
“The average price for a funeral in the UK is now well over £4,000 – this is a cost many do not have the resources to pay for.
“Funeral Support Payment is there to ease some of the financial pressure for grieving individuals and reduce funeral poverty for people in Scotland. I urge people in Edinburgh to check their eligibility to receive Funeral Support Payment.”
To find out more information on Funeral Support Payment, visit:
https://www.mygov.scot/browse/benefits/death/funeral-support
ELIGIBILITY
People may be eligible for Funeral Support Payment if they meet all of the criteria below:
* Universal Credit (UC), Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit.
