The Scottish Child Payment is now being received by the families of more than 300,000 children and young people, according to official statistics cited by the Scottish Government.

New figures show that 303,000 children were receiving the payment at the end of March.

The total amount of the benefit paid out since its February 2021 launch now stands at £248.6 million.

The Scottish Child Payment was extended to include all eligible children until their 16th birthday and increased to £25 per child per week in November last year.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “The game-changing Scottish Child Payment is designed to tackle child poverty head-on and lift families out of poverty.

“Families in Scotland are able to benefit from five family payments delivered by the Scottish Government which could be worth more than £10,000 by the time an eligible child turns six and over £20,000 by the time an eligible child turns 16.

“I am pleased at the take up of the Payment but we still want to get that money to all of those eligible. I would encourage anyone who thinks they may be eligible to find out more and apply …

“The Scottish Child Payment is one of an ambitious range of actions to support families immediately and in the long term.”

Polly Jones, Head of Scotland at the Trussell Trust, said: “Everyone in Scotland should be able to afford the essentials but we know that more families are struggling than ever before.

“We have long called for the Scottish Child Payment to be increased and extended to all children up to 16 and so it’s very encouraging to see the positive impact this is making, reaching more families and getting more cash into the pockets of people who need support the most.”