Publication - Advice and guidance
Care Leaver Payment: guidance for recipients
Guidance for young people who will get the Care Leaver Payment introduced on 1 April 2026 to help young people overcome financial barriers as they leave care and move into independent living.
14. Sign-posting
If you would like further specific help and advice beyond that provided by your local authority, for example advice on budgeting, there are other organisations that you can contact:
- Money Ready is a financial education charity dedicated to creating a financially fluent population.
- Citizens Advice Scotland specialise in: access to justice, debt and money, digital access, energy, housing and social security.
- Young Scot have a page dedicated to outlining care leavers’ entitlements.
- Social Security Scotland is the executive agency responsible for the delivery of social security payments (benefits) in Scotland.
- Guide for young people with experience of care includes information on benefits, housing, education, training and jobs, health and wellbeing and rights as a young person with experience of care.
- Intandem is a mentoring programme for children and young people experiencing the care system, or at risk of care.
Contact
Email: careleaverpayment@gov.scot