Publication - Research and analysis

Five Family Payments evaluation: annex A - mixed methods research

Published: 4 September 2025
Directorate: Tackling Child Poverty and Social Justice Directorate, +1 more … Social Security Directorate
Topic: Children and families, Cost of living crisis, Equality and rights, +1 more … Health and social care
ISBN: 9781836919568

This report presents findings from research which informed an evaluation of the Five Family Payments.

Part of

Social security: policy research and evaluation

Supporting documents

References

1 Tax credits ended in 2025.

2 Rates quoted in this report are accurate for December 2024 when the research fieldwork took place.

3 Social security payments in Scotland are uprated by inflation every April. From April 2025, Scottish Child Payment will be £27.15 per week.

4 The achieved sample was not sufficient to explore the impact of FFP on mothers aged under 25.

5 Over 94% of the clients in the Scottish Government’s database have provided an email address, and all sampled clients had given an email address.

6 This means that if the survey were to be run 100 times with a similarly drawn sample, the result reported would be found in 95 surveys out of the 100.

7 Best Start Foods can be applied for as soon as someone knows they are pregnant. Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, eligibility starts from week 24 of pregnancy.

8 There is an automatic re-enrolment period of 12 weeks, meaning if the person qualifies again (i.e. receives UC) within this time they will receive SCP without having to reapply.

9 Local Delivery - mygov.scot

[i] Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2025) UK Poverty 2025: poverty has deepened.

[ii] Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.

[iii] Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2020-23 (2023);

[iv] Scottish Government (2018) Every child, every chance: tackling child poverty delivery plan 2018-2022

[v] Scottish Government (2022) Best Start, Bright Futures: tackling child poverty delivery plan 2022 to 2026 - Part B: Maximising the support available for families to live dignified lives and meet their basic needs.

[vi] Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018; Scottish Government;

[vii] Social Security Scotland (2024) Five Family Payments factsheet.

[viii] Scottish Government (2025) Tackling child poverty priority families overview: Poverty rates amongst priority family types.

[ix] Scottish Government (2024) Examining outcomes associated with Social Security Scotland spending: an evidence synthesis.

[x] Scottish Government (2025) Child poverty modelling: update.

[xi] Scottish Government (2023) Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023.