The cost of living crisis is putting additional pressure on household finances for millions of families across Scotland as the nation tries to cope with soaring energy bills, rising inflation and higher National Insurance Contributions this month.
April is a month of change which sees the start of the new financial year, benefits uprating for those delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Social Security Scotland, and increases to most utility bills for streaming services, broadband, mobile phone and premium TV.
However, families on a low-income with children under the age of six, could receive an extra £20 every week to help with these rising costs.
The Scottish Child Payment doubled to £20 per week per child from April1 and 104,000 children are already benefiting from this increase.
The payment, which is unique to Scotland, was designed to tackle child poverty head on and is one of five family benefits which provides financial support to low-income families with children aged under six.
The benefit will be extended at the end of the year to all eligible children under the age of 16 - and at that point will also increase from £20 to £25 per week.
Once extended, it is expected over 400,000 children could be eligible.
The newly doubled Scottish Child Payment, together with the three Best Start Grant payments and Best Start Foods, will provide families with more than £10,000 by the time their first child turns six and £9,700 for subsequent children.
This compares to less than £1,800 for an eligible family’s first child in England and Wales, and less than £1,300 for subsequent children.
During a recent visit to Glasgow-based family charity Govan Help, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are using our social security powers to take immediate steps to put cash in the pockets of families by doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per week per child – support not replicated anywhere else in the UK.
“This is a key part of our national mission to tackle child poverty. We will further increase this payment to £25 by the end of 2022 - five times the amount campaigners originally asked. This will give families additional financial support of £1,300 for each eligible child every year.”
The latest figures released by the Scottish Government show that processing times for a new claim for the Scottish Child Payment took 26 days in December 2021.
Which means if you make your claim today - online or by phoning Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 - you could start getting payments at the start of next month, or even sooner.
The statistics also show that in total, around 14% of applications that were received on or after November 9, 2020 and decided by December 31, 2021 were processed within just 10 working days.
Around 66% of all applications took 21 days or more to be processed.
However, the average processing times increased in recent months from 15 working days in September 2021, to 20 working days in October and November and 26 days in December.
Below is a quick guide on what you need to know, full details are available on the MyGov.scot website here.
Who should apply for the Scottish Child Payment?
You may be able to get Scottish Child Payment if all of the following apply:
- you live in Scotland
- you or your partner are getting certain benefits or payments
- you or your partner are the main person looking after a child who's under 6 years old
The main person looking after your child (if any) might want to complete the application form, or use their bank details for payment.
Benefits or payment you or your partner must get to qualify
You can apply whether you're in work or not, as long as you're getting one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Social Security Scotland guidance states: “If you're not getting any of these benefits or payments, but have applied for one, you can still apply for Scottish Child Payment.
You might get one of these benefits or payments, but have a sanction or deduction on your claim. This is when you get a cut in your benefits because you did not meet certain conditions or pay money you owe - you can still apply, as this will not affect Social Security Scotland’s decision on your application.
How to claim
You can apply for the Scottish Child Payment by visiting the MyGov website here or calling 0800 182 2222.
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