Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
FOI Reference: FOI/202200300397
Date received: 16 May 2022
Date responded: 15 June 2022
Information requested
The number of children whose Scottish Child Payments have stopped as a result of them turning six, broken down by month and, if possible, local authority area.
Response
Please find attached a file that provides the information you requested. As requested, the data is broken down by month and local authority area.
Scottish Child Payment launched in February 2021 and is open to all eligible children under the age of six. The Scottish Government has committed to expanding eligibility for the Scottish Child Payment to children aged 6-15 by the end of 2022.
Under current rules children who were in receipt of Scottish Child Payment but who turned six since the date of launch are no longer eligible to receive Scottish Child Payment.
However, Bridging Payments worth £520 each year in 2021 and 2022, are automatically awarded for school age children in receipt of Free School Meals on the basis of low income. Eligibility criteria can be found at School meals - mygov.scot.
While the Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities for the Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payments & Free School Meals, both are delivered by local authorities.
Bridging Payments were awarded for over 144,000 school age children as of the end of December 2021.
About FOI
Social Security Scotland is committed to publishing responses to requests. The Scottish Government also publishes responses to requests. You can view the responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.