Scottish Budget - provisional outturn 2025-2026: briefing note - 18 June 2026
The overall provisional fiscal outturn for 2025-26 is £55.9 billion against a total fiscal budget of £56.3 billion. The Scottish Government (SG) is not permitted by Treasury to overspend its budget. The remaining underspend of £358 million, carried forward in full in the Scotland Reserve.
Social Security
16. In 2025-26, Social Security Scotland administered 18 benefits; Carer’s Allowance Supplement/ Scottish Carer Supplement, Best Start Foods, Best Start Grant – Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Best Start Grant – Early Learning Payment, Best Start Grant – School Age Payment, Funeral Support Payment, Young Carer Grant, Job Start Payment, Scottish Child Payment, Child Winter Heating Payment, Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Winter Heating Payment, Carer Support Payment, Carer Additional Person Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
17. In 2025-26, the Department for Work and Pensions administered 6 benefits under agency agreements on Social Security Scotland’s behalf; Carer’s Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disability Scheme, Severe Disablement Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.
18. In 2025-26 case transfer concluded for all benefits administered by the Department for Work and Pensions that have a Scottish equivalent benefit. Some expenditure for these benefits is expected to continue through various transactions such as legacy payments, redeterminations, appeals, and Legal Entitlement Administrative Practice exercises.
19. Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance budgets were included within their respective equivalent Scottish Benefit - Pension Age Disability Payment, Carer Support Payment, Adult Disability Payment and Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance.
20. Scottish Carer Supplement was included within the Carers Allowance Supplement budget and Carer Additional Person Payment was included within the Carer Support Payment budget
| Benefit Expenditure | Budget (SBR) £m | Expenditure £m | Variance (Under)/ Over £m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Disablement Allowance | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.0 |
| Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit | 81.1 | 80.0 | (1.2) |
| Department for Work and Pensions administered benefits | 85.6 | 84.5 | (1.1) |
| Best Start Grant | 18.9 | 20.1 | 1.2 |
| Best Start Foods | 16.8 | 16.6 | (0.2) |
| Carers Allowance Supplement | 60.2 | 60.2 | 0.1 |
| Funeral Support Payment | 12.7 | 12.5 | (0.2) |
| Job Start Payment | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Young Carer Grant | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
| Scottish Child Payment | 457.1 | 458.2 | 1.1 |
| Child Disability Payment | 585.0 | 576.9 | (8.1) |
| Child Winter Heating Payment | 11.7 | 11.6 | (0.1) |
| Adult Disability Payment | 3396.4 | 3382.4 | (14.0) |
| Winter Heating Payment | 28.3 | 28.4 | 0.1 |
| Carer Support Payment | 437.4 | 437.4 | (0.1) |
| Pension Age Disability Payment | 850.6 | 856.7 | 6.1 |
| Pension Age Winter Heating Payment | 196.5 | 189.7 | (6.8) |
| Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance | 405.3 | 408.2 | 2.9 |
| Social Security Scotland administered benefits | 6,478.7 | 6,461.3 | (17.4) |
| Benefit Expenditure | 6,564.3 | 6,545.8 | (18.6) |
| Benefit Overpayments – Impairment Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) | 15.0 | 12.4 | (2.6) |
| Provisions (AME) | (9.0) | (8.8) | 0.2 |
| Non Cash Items | 6.0 | 3.6 | (2.4) |
| Total | 6,570.3 | 6,549.4 | (21.0) |
- Individual variances may not sum due to rounding.
- Figures are provisional and subject to change until the external audit concludes and Social Security Scotland publishes its Annual Report & Accounts in autumn.
Contact
Email: Corporate.reporting@gov.scot