Child benefit – is paid to the person who has most responsibility for the child. This usually means that where a child lives with a Kinship Carer the Kinship Carer will make the claim for child benefit. Where someone else, usually the child’s parent, is in receipt of child benefit the person who the child normally lives with has priority. Where another person receives child benefit the priority will not change for three weeks after the Kinship Carer makes their claim. Further information can be viewed here: Claim Child Benefit: How it works – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
You can now listen to a podcast about child benefit recorded by the KCASS team, click on the link to listen: Podcasts – Kinship.scot
Most kinship carers should be able to get child benefit for the child they care for. Contact the KCASS helpline on 08000 28 22 33 or email advice@kinshipscot.org for more information if you have any difficulties getting child benefit sorted out.
Child element of universal credit – The child element of universal credit is usually only payable to “Non Looked After” children. If the child in your care is “Looked After” there will be no entitlement to child element or the childcare cost element. You should always inform the DWP of the legal status of the child in your care (see the section here) failure to do so may result in an overpayment of benefit which you will be liable to repay.
Child addition to pension credit – Similar rules apply to those in receipt of the child element of universal credit.
Please get in touch with KCASS if you are unsure how this will affect you.
Social Security Scotland – pay a variety of benefits to Kinship Carers where they meet the qualifying criteria these include: Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, the Scottish Child Payment and the chid disability payment. CPAG have further information on their website here: https://cpag.org.uk/scotland/welfare-rights/scottish-benefits/payments-children
Child Disability Payment – provides payment for extra costs that a disabled child may have and Kinship Carers may claim this for a qualifying child. Information about the payment can be accessed here: Child Disability Payment – mygov.scot
Best Start Grant – is made up of 3 one-off payments:
Best Start Foods is a prepaid card that can be used in shops or online to buy healthy foods like milk or fruit. For further information you can click on this link: Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods – mygov.scot
Scottish Child Payment – SCP is a weekly benefit for children aged under 16. It is £27.15 a week per child and is aimed at families who are on a low income. For more information see here: Scottish child Payment and Kinship Carers – CPAG
