Publication - Impact assessment

Care Leaver Payment (Scotland) Regulations 2026: equality impact assessment

Published: 21 January 2026
From: Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, +2 more … Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Director for Children and Families
Directorate: Children and Families Directorate
Topic: Children and families
ISBN: 9781806436590

Equality impact assessment (EQIA) for the Care Leaver Payment (Scotland) Regulations 2026 which will provide for a new scheme called the Care Leaver Payment. This will provide a one-off £2000 payment to young people moving from care, with the intention of helping to reduce some of the financial barriers they face whilst moving into adulthood.

Supporting documents

Stage 3: Assessing the impacts and identifying opportunities to promote equality

Having considered the data and evidence you have gathered, this section requires you to consider the potential impacts – negative and positive – that your policy might have on each of the protected characteristics. It is important to remember the duty is also a positive one – that we must explore whether the policy offers the opportunity to promote equality and/or foster good relations.

Do you think that the policy impacts on people on the grounds of their age? Either directly or indirectly?
Age	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	Yes	No	No	Care experienced people are over one and a half times more likely to experience financial difficulties and have more than double the chance of experiencing homelessness, mainly before age thirty. The intention of the Care Leaver Payment is to help reduce some of the financial barriers that young people face whilst moving on from care and to improve outcomes.
Promoting good relations among and between different age groups	No	No	Yes	-

Do you think that the policy impacts disabled people? Either directly or indirectly?
Disability	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	Yes	No	No	Care experienced people are over one and a half times more likely to experience financial difficulties and have more than double the chance of experiencing homelessness, mainly before age thirty. It is understood that representation of disability within the care experienced cohort is slightly above that of the overall population. The intention of the Care Leaver Payment is to help reduce some of the financial barriers that young people face whilst moving on from care and to improve outcomes.
Promoting good relations among and between disabled and non-disabled people	No	No	Yes	-

Do you think that the policy impacts on men and women in different ways? Either directly or indirectly?
Sex	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	No	No	Yes	-
Promoting good relations between men and women	No	No	Yes	-

Do you think that the policy impacts on women on the grounds of pregnancy and maternity? Either directly or indirectly?
Pregnancy and Maternity	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	Yes	No	No	Care experienced people are over one and a half times more likely to experience financial difficulties and have more than double the chance of experiencing homelessness, mainly before age thirty. Care leavers that are pregnant and/or parents will be eligible to receive the payment. The intention of the Care Leaver Payment is to help reduce some of the financial barriers that young people face whilst moving on from care and to improve outcomes.
Promoting good relations	No	No	Yes	-

Do you think your policy impacts on people proposing to undergo, undergoing, or who have undergone a process for the purpose of reassigning their sex? Either directly or indirectly? (NB: the Equality Act 2010 uses the term ‘transsexual people’ but ‘trans people’ is more commonly used)
Gender reassignment	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	No	No	Yes	-
Promoting good relations	No	No	Yes	-

Do you think that the policy impacts on people on the grounds of their sexual orientation? Either directly or indirectly?
Sexual orientation	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	No	No	Yes	-
Promoting good relations				-

Do you think the policy impacts on people on the grounds of their race? Either directly or indirectly?
Race	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	No	No	Yes	-
Promoting good race relations	No	No	Yes	-

Do you think the policy impacts on people on the grounds of their religion or belief? Either directly or indirectly?
Religion or belief	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	No	No	Yes	-
Promoting good relations	No	No	Yes	-

Do you think the policy impacts on people on the grounds of their marriage or civil partnership? Either directly or indirectly?
Marriage and Civil Partnership^[2]	Positive	Negative	None	Reasons for your decision
Eliminating unlawful discrimination	No	No	Yes	-
Advancing equality of opportunity	No	No	Yes	-
Promoting good relations	No	No	Yes	-

Contact

Email: careleaverpayment@gov.scot

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Information

Stage 3: Assessing the impacts and identifying opportunities to promote equality

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