Investing in all our futures: improving the good the Scottish Child Payment can do
Published on 12th January 2026 by Ilona Pinter, Charlotte Zealley, Lily Gordon Brown, Maria Marshall and Changing Realities participants.
Evidence from parents and carers clearly shows the Scottish Child Payment is improving lives for families, according to joint policy briefing produced in partnership with the Family Finances study and participants from Changing Realities.
For many families, the experience of applying for and receiving the payment has been positive with parents saying they are treated ‘with respect and dignity.’
However, many parents are still struggling to get by despite this support, pointing to the need for the payment’s value to be increased. There are also low-income families who miss out on this support altogether, in particular, parents whose children turn 16 but still live at home face suddenly losing financial support while facing the same costs, as well as families with No Recourse to Public Funds who are not entitled to Scottish Child Payment. This has harmful consequences for both parents and children.
The Scottish Government must now build on the progress made already by increasing the value of the payment and supporting families who currently miss out. The £155m that has become available and committed to tackling child poverty as a consequence of the abolition of the two-child limit should be used to invest in the Scottish Child Payment.
Download the full briefing below.
Downloads
Image credit: Micheile Henderson (Unsplash)
