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The National
01-07-2025
- Health
- The National
I was able to travel for surgery for my son thanks to Scottish Child Payment
Michaela King, who lives in Leith, told The National that when her child Rupert had to be taken to Great Ormond Street children's hospital for emergency open heart surgery last year, the only money she had to survive on was the Scottish Child Payment (SCP) and the Best Start Foods card. Two-year-old Rupert was diagnosed with noonan syndrome after he was born and has complicated health needs including cardiac issues. He was given a 50 per cent chance of survival from the crucial surgery, and thankfully recovered well. King, 33, had applied for disability benefits for Rupert before the operation, but it took nine months to come through. 'Even in that nine months, Rupert's going through all these hospital appointments, that tiny bit like a hundred and odd pounds, that can make quite a drastic difference in the family's life, and it did when Rupert was in Great Ormond Street,' King explained. READ MORE: Social Security Scotland is 'shining example of what independence can do' King, who used to be a support worker for children with special needs before leaving her job to look after Rupert full time, said that a mix-up between her previous employer and HMRC over payslips meant there was a period she could not claim Universal Credit for two months. 'That was just before we went to London,' she explained, adding that the NHS asks families to pay for hotels and food up front before reimbursing them at a later point. King added: 'I had no money going down to London. All I had was these little pockets of money that the Scottish Government were giving out, so the Scottish Child Payment and the little money on the card for food. 'I had to survive on that for nearly two months. If I didn't have the Scottish Child Payment that would have changed everything, because I wouldn't have been able to afford it. 'Obviously that has made a massive difference, and it meant that Rupert could get the health care that he needed.' (Image: PA) King added that since having Rupert her financial situation changed completely compared to when she was working full-time. 'When you're a solo parent and when you are in this sort of poverty line that us parents that own this situation are in, you learn to adapt,' she said. 'I budget totally differently now than what I budgeted previously, when I didn't have Rupert and I had a job with a lot of money. My lifestyle has completely changed.' Asked how life with Rupert would look without having access to the Scottish Child Payment, King said: 'I think we probably would lose out on stuff. We wouldn't do as much. 'We probably wouldn't be taking trips out or buying the toys that fit around Rupert's needs. He likes spin toys. READ MORE: I'm still using my baby box – here's how my family benefitted from it 'The Scottish Child payment has probably paid for most of his spinning toys. We would have had to adapt differently.' The SCP is currently £27.15 a week, while the UK Government's Child Benefit, also available for those living in Scotland to claim, is £26.05 a week. King, who is originally from England but had Rupert in Scotland, said that there is better support north of the border. However, she feared that the payment is not keeping up with how fast prices are rising. 'The economy is getting harder and harder to live by. Food prices are going up, fuel prices are going up, transport prices are going up, and the Scottish Child Payment, I think it rose by like two or three pounds this year - that's not going to cover my bananas. 'You are better off up here, but it's still hard. You still have to budget even on the amount that you do get. (Image: Getty) 'I think it's a step in the right direction, and it is brilliant. I think there's just a little bit more that could be done to help families, definitely.' King added that the looming disability cuts in Westminster had given her 'sleepless nights' as she fears of the impact on Rupert's future. She added: 'I keep thinking, maybe it won't affect us because he's just a baby. Surely they wouldn't take money away from children?' While King aims to go back to work, finding affordable specialised childcare for Rupert has proven difficult. 'You get anxious about it, you don't want to claim all these things,' she added. 'I think there is still this stigma of claiming things, and I think could I do it with just going to work? No, I definitely couldn't.' READ MORE: Poverty levels in Scotland below UK for 20 years, graphs show Satwat Rehman, chief executive of One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) said that the SCP is a 'vital lifeline' for single-parent households, a third of whom are living in poverty. 'But it does not yet go far enough,' she said. 'The Scottish Child Payment and benefit cap mitigation have already provided much needed relief to many struggling families.' Rehman added: 'Yet, with 23% of children in Scotland still living in poverty, and the rate rising to 36% for children in single-parent families, it's clear that further urgent and targeted action is needed to meet the statutory target of 10% of Scotland's children living in relative poverty by 2030.'
Daily Record
02-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Parents urged to apply for £319 one-off payment to help cover school costs after the summer
Applications for the School Age Payment are now open until February 28, 2026. How to apply for Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours childcare Social Security Scotland is urging parents, carers and guardians on certain benefits with a child born between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021, to check whether they are eligible for a one-off payment worth £319.80. The Best Start Grant School Age Payment is made per eligible child in Scotland-only and aims to help with the costs of preparing them for school. Application for School Age Payment opened on June 1 and will be open until February 28, 2026. School Age Payment is issued automatically to people who get Scottish Child Payment. People who do not receive the devolved benefit, or who have opted out of automatic payments, should apply - full details on here. The money aims to help parents or carers with the costs of their child starting school and is available for all eligible children from the same household. The School Age Payment has not replaced the School Clothing Grant and does not affect payments of the School Clothing Grant in any way. If you want to apply for both, you can - full details here. A person may be able to get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods if they or their partner meet these conditions: live in Scotland are pregnant or have a child who's the right age for a payment are the main person looking after the child get certain benefits Benefits or payments you need to get To get Best Start Grant and Foods, normally you or your partner need to get one of these: Universal Credit Housing Benefit Income Support Pension Credit income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) If you're under 20-years-old and do not get one of the payments listed above, you may still be able to get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods. If you're not getting any of these benefits or payments, but have applied for one, you can still apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods. Guidance on also explains that 'Child Benefit on its own is not an accepted benefit for Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods. You must get one of the benefits from this list.' People can apply online, by phone or by post. More information can be found on the dedicated Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods pages on here or by calling Social Security Scotland for free on 0800 182 2222. Scottish Child Payment Scottish Child Payment is unique to Scotland and provides financial support for families, helping with the costs of caring for a child. It is a weekly payment, currently worth £27.15 (£108.60 every four-week pay period), for every eligible child that a parent or carer looks after who's under 16 years of age. Social Security Scotland recently revealed that there are around one in 10 families who might be eligible for the payment but not claiming it. Combined with Child Benefit payments from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), parents could be due up to £212.80 every month in additional support. Child Benefit is a separate UK-wide payment worth £26.05 for the eldest or only child. The payment is also issued every four weeks which amounts to £104.20 every payment period. Parents with additional children receive £17.25 each week, some £69.00 every four week pay period. Scottish Child Payment is also one of the five family payments parents and carers may be eligible for along with Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods. To qualify for Scottish Child Payment, 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 full list of qualifying benefits can be found online here. Parents, carers and guardians can get more information about financial help on the dedicated Children and Family section on here or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
