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Benefits in Scotland

Social Security Scotland runs its own payments alongside UK benefits like Universal Credit and Child Benefit. Several are more generous than elsewhere in the UK, and some only exist in Scotland.

£28.20a week per child, Scottish Child Payment

£796.65first baby, Best Start Grant

£11.70a week Scottish Carer Supplement

0800 182 2222Social Security Scotland

For families

Payment	Amount
Scottish Child Payment, each child under 16, if you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or certain other benefits	£28.20 a week
Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, first child	£796.65
Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, later children	£398.35
Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment (age 2 to 3½)	£331.95
Best Start Grant School Age Payment	£331.95
Best Start Foods, pregnancy / baby under 1 / child 1 to 3	£22.40 / £44.80 / £22.40 every 4 weeks
Child Winter Heating Payment, highest care rate	£265.50 a year

Scottish Child Payment doesn't affect any other benefits. Getting it also gives P6 and P7 children free school meals.

For disabled people and carers

Payment	Amount
Adult Disability Payment (replaces PIP), daily living	£76.70 or £114.60 a week
Adult Disability Payment, mobility	£30.30 or £80.00 a week
Child Disability Payment (replaces DLA for children)	Same rates as DLA
Pension Age Disability Payment (replaces Attendance Allowance)	£76.70 or £114.60 a week
Carer Support Payment (replaces Carer's Allowance)	£86.45 a week
Scottish Carer Supplement, on top	£11.70 a week
Carer Additional Person Payment, each extra person	£10.40 a week
Young Carer Grant (16 to 19, caring 16 hours a week)	£405.10 a year

Winter payments

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment: £105.55 to £316.70, replaces Winter Fuel Payment.
Winter Heating Payment: £62.00 every winter on qualifying benefits, replaces Cold Weather Payments.

Emergencies

The Scottish Welfare Fund gives Crisis Grants for emergencies and Community Care Grants to help people stay in or set up a home. You don't pay them back.

See what you could get

Answer a few plain questions and get a list of the benefits and help you're likely to get, with amounts and links to apply.

Check what I can get

How to apply

Apply for most Scottish payments on mygov.scot, or call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222. One application covers Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.

Sources

Every figure on this page is copied from these official pages, for April 2026 to March 2027 (checked 3 November 2026):

This is a guide, not advice. The office that runs each benefit decides who gets it. Rules can change.