Scottish Child Payment: how to get it in 2022

What is Scottish Child Payment? How much is it in 2022? If you have children under 6 years old, you may be eligible to receive Scottish Child Payment. The requirements will also change late 2022. Your Benefits will tell you everything you need to know about Scottish Child Payment.

What is Scottish Child Payment?

You may have children, and live in Scotland. Then, you may receive Scottish Child Payment. In fact, this benefit is meant to help cover towards costs that can arise from providing for your family. More specifically, for every child younger than 6 years old you are responsible for, you can get £20 weekly.

If you qualify, then you will receive payments on a monthly basis. Furthermore, you can choose how to use the money you get with Scottish Child Payment. Indeed, you may use it to pay for things such as:

Childcare;
Family trips;
Essentials, such as nappies and more;
Costs incurred from travel.

Will Scottish Child Payment affect other benefits I receive?

Scottish Child Payment will not impact any UK or Scottish Government benefits you receive. This also applies to benefits that people living with you receive. However, it might affect your local allowances or grants, like the Scottish Welfare Fund. Moreover, you may learn more by contacting your local council.

Note that only one person may receive Scottish Child Payment for a child. In fact, two people cannot get this benefit for one child at the same time. Furthermore, who can get the benefit depends on the benefits that you or the other person may receive.

When does Scottish Child Payment start?

With Scottish Child Payment, you will be able to receive £20 weekly. Furthermore, payments are typically given every 4 weeks. In other words, this means that you will typically receive £80 every month.

Also note that your other benefits will usually not be impacted at all. As such, the amount that you receive with this benefit is on top of your already existing benefits. Additionally, you must even receive a qualifying benefit in order to be eligible.

Who qualifies for Scottish Child Payment?

A few things need to be true in order to be eligible. More specifically, all of the following must be true for your situation:

You currently reside in Scotland;
Either you or your partner receive certain qualifying benefits;
Either your partner or yourself is the main person responsible a child under 6 years old (for whom you are claiming).

In most cases, you want the person who is responsible for the child to complete the claim form. Additionally, you may also use the details of their bank account.

What is a qualifying benefit for Scottish Child Payment?

Your partner or yourself must receive one of the qualifying benefits in order to earn Scottish Child Payment. Indeed, you may apply whether you work or do not. The qualifying benefits are as follows:

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA);
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA);
Working Tax Credit;
Pension Credit;
Child Tax Credit;
Income Support;
Universal Credit.

You may have applied to one of these benefits, but are still not receiving it. If this is the case, you may then still claim Scottish Child Payment.

You may also receive a payment from Switzerland or a European Economic Area (EEA) country. Then, you may still claim this benefit. If you want to learn more, you can call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 for free.

If you have a sanction or deduction on your qualifying benefit, you must include it in your claim. More specifically, a document that shows details of it. Indeed, it can be a copy of any of the following:

A Tax Credit award letter;
A benefit award letter from the Department for Work and Pensions;
A Universal Credit statement.

Important

The benefits you receive may have a deduction or sanction. If this is true, you likely are receiving less of said benefit. However, you may still claim Scottish Child Payment. Indeed, it will not impact your application. If a sanction or deduction happens while you receive this benefit, you must let Social Security Scotland know.

How to I apply for Scottish Child Payment

You may apply online, by phone or by post. The easiest way to apply is online, on the mygov.scot website. Furthermore, you will need a couple of information before you apply for the benefit. Indeed, prepare the following:

Your children’s dates of birth;
If you have a partner: information about them;
If you have a bank account: information about your account.

When applying online, the whole process should last between 10 and 20 minutes. However, do not worry if the process takes you longer to complete.

How to apply for Scottish Child Payment by phone or post

For one reason or another, you may want to apply by phone or by post. For example, you may want to call to apply for Scottish Child Payment. To do this, contact Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222. Then, you will be able to apply by phone. You may contact them Monday through Friday, from 8am to 6pm.

You may be a British Sign Language user (BSL). If this is true for you, you may then use apply through video relay with the contactSCOTLAND app.

You may want to apply by post. If this is the case, you first need to fill a paper form. Indeed, this is the Scottish Child Payment single form. However, you may want to apply for Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods at the same time.

If this is the case, you may then fill out another form. Indeed, it is called the Best Start Grant, Foods and Scottish Child payment combined application form.

Once the correct form is filled out, you will want to send the form. Then, you can ask Social Security Scotland to send you a pre-paid envelope. Call them and they will provide you one.

Important

You may struggle while filling out your application. If this is the case, call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222. Indeed, you may do so from 8am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. Additionally, it’s free.

What other benefits could I get?

If you get Scottish Child Payment, chances are that you can get some other benefits as well. Indeed, these would help covering costs that families with children may experience. For example, two of these benefits are Best Start Foods and Best Start Grant.

Disclaimer

Best Start Grant consists of 3 different one-time payments. Best Start Foods consists of a prepaid card.

What is Best Start Foods?

If you are eligible for Scottish Child Payment, chances are that you are also eligible for Best Start Foods. This benefit consists of a prepaid card. Indeed, with it, you can buy healthy food online or in shops.

You may apply for Best Start Foods, from the time you are pregnant until your child’s third birthday. Then, there are 3 different payments you could receive. Indeed, they are as follows:

Best Start Foods amounts 2022
Period during which payments are earned	Amount received
During pregnancy	£18 every 4 weeks
From the birth of your child up until their 1rst birthday	£36 every 4 weeks
From your child's 1rst to their 3rd birthday	£18 every 4 weeks

You need to be earning certain benefits in order to be able to receive Best Start Foods. Moreover, these benefits are the same benefits that qualify you for Best Start Grant. However, some have an income limit. Then, this can limit your ability to earn benefits based on your income.

The following benefits have an income limit:

Child Tax Credit without Working Tax Credit: the joint income of you and your partner (from working) must be inferior to £17,005 yearly;
Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit: the joint income of you and your partner (from working) must be inferior to £7,920 yearly;
Universal Credit: you or your partner may have a job. Then, your joint income (you get from working) must be inferior to £660 monthly. Indeed, this is after tax and National Insurance, and this benefit’s payments do not count towards your income;
Housing Benefit: your joint income (from you and your partner) from working must be inferior to £328 weekly.

What is Best Start Grant?

Best Start Grant is a benefit you could be able to receive if you get Scottish Child Payment. Indeed, then, you could receive up to 3 one-time payments. They are as follows:

Pregnancy and Baby Payment;
Early Learning Payment;
School Age Payment.

Pregnancy and Baby Payment is a payment that can be one of two rates. You may get either £321.20 or £642.35. £642.35 is for your first child, and £321.20 for any subsequent children. Indeed, these can help covering the costs that might incur either from the pregnancy or taking care after your baby.

You may apply between 24 weeks into your pregnancy, to your baby’s 6 months birthday. However, you may have adopted your baby. If this is the case, you may apply up until the child is one year old.

Then is Early Learning Payment. For this, you may earn £267.65 for any children that you have that are between 2 years and 3 years and 6 months old. Indeed, the money you receive can be used for any costs linked with your children. This can include nappies costs, or you can use the money on trips to take them to new and different places.

Important

Then is School Age Payment. It consists of a payment of £267.65. This is for every eligible child you have. More specifically, if you received the other payments for them previously, they likely qualify. Lastly, your child may have been born before 1 March 2014. Then, you cannot apply for School Age Payment for them.