The Scottish Government has announced that a total of £84 million has been paid to families since the Scottish Child Payment was introduced less than 18 months ago.
The payment of £20 per week for children under the age of six is unique to Scotland and began in February 2021 to directly tackle child poverty by providing regular, additional financial support to parents and carers to help with the costs of caring for a child. As of June 30, 2022, it is estimated that 104,000 children were actively in receipt of Scottish Child Payment and 1.4 million payments have now been made.
By the end of this year the payment will increase to £25 per week and extend to include all eligible children under the age of 16 when it is expected that over 400,000 will potentially be eligible. The Scottish Fiscal Commission anticipates take-up of the payment for over 300,000 more children across Scotland.
