On Wednesday 26 November, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, announced in her Budget that the UK Government would get rid of the 2 Child Benefit Cap (aka Rape Clause). It has been a major contributor to high rates of child poverty. Some 4.5 million children—nearly one in three (31%)—are estimated to be living in poverty in the UK.

In Scotland, the SNP Scottish Government has been mitigating the impact of the Rape Clause through the benefits it can administer. The Rape Clause, first introduced by a Tory Government, will not be scrapped until April of next year.

The Tories are still in favour of the 2 Child Benefit Cap, introduced in 2017, which limits what a mother can be awarded unless she can prove a child is the result of a rape.

The Scottish Child Benefit, launched in February 2021, is only found in Scotland. The benefit gives families with low incomes crucial financial support to help with the cost of raising children. 

The weekly payment of £27.15 is paid every four weeks for every eligible child under the age of 16 within a household.  

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:   

“This support is helping parents and carers with the essential costs of raising children and is contributing to lowering child poverty rates in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK. That progress is the result of our decision to invest in measures that directly support household budgets and improve the wellbeing of children.

“While we should recognise the positive impact this is having for thousands of families, we know there is still much more to do. One child in poverty is one too many, and we remain firmly committed to doing everything we can to support families and give every child the best possible start in life.

“Scottish Child Payment continues to be a central part of that mission, and these figures demonstrate why this support is so important to communities across Scotland.”

Click on this link for Scottish Child Payment statistics to 30 September 2025

During 2024-25, Scottish Child Payment had a take-up rate of 94% among eligible people in Scotland.

The Five Family Payments Client Survey showed 88% of respondents rated their overall experience of Social Security Scotland as either ‘good’ or ‘very good, and 9 in 10 said Social Security Scotland treated them with Fairness, Dignity and Respect.

Scottish Child Payment is one of the five family payments parents and carers may be eligible for along with Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.   

All of the following need to apply:   

• the person lives in Scotland   

• the person or their partner are getting certain benefits or payments   
• the person or their partner are the main person looking after a child who’s under 16 years old   

A parent or carer can apply whether they are in work or not, if they or their partner are getting one or more of the following benefits:   

• Universal Credit    
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).    

Social Security Scotland also accept claims if the person alone is named on one of these benefits:    

• Pension Credit  
• Income Support  
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

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