Scottish Child Payment: Interim Evaluation

This document describes an evaluation of the Scottish Child Payment program, which aims to alleviate child poverty by providing financial assistance to low-income families in Scotland. The program, established under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, offers weekly payments for children under 6, with the amount per child initially set at £10 and subsequently increased to £20, with plans to raise it to £25. The evaluation employed qualitative research, analysis of official statistics, and surveys, uncovering a 77% take-up rate by June 2021. Findings show the program has boosted child-related expenditures, lessened financial burdens, and enhanced children's social and educational opportunities, despite some issues with eligibility confusion and application delays. The program is largely well-received, with most applicants reporting satisfaction and experiencing reduced financial stress and better mental health. The payment has also positively impacted the economy and contributed to the government's child poverty reduction targets, though a comprehensive economic evaluation is pending. The majority of applications are processed swiftly, within 10 working days, and further data is available upon request. The report concludes that while the program is making progress, ongoing promotion and monitoring are essential for its continued success. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: The Scottish Government (The Scottish Government)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation; Process evaluation
• Impact methods: Theory-based methods
• Theory-based methods: Other
• Process methods: Individual interviews; Other; Surveys and polling
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: July 2022

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Links to published evaluations (DEBUGGING): No final report link found.
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes