Care Leaver Payment

What is Care Leaver Payment

Care Leaver Payment is a one-off payment of £2,000 for young people leaving care in Scotland.

It aims to help with the costs of living independently.

It’s paid by the local council that last looked after you.

Who can get it

You can get Care Leaver Payment if you:

• were in care on or after your 16th birthday, and

• left care on or after 1 April 2026, and

• are not getting continuing care.

You can also get Care Leaver Payment if you:

• were getting continuing care but stopped getting it on or after 1 April 2026.

You were in care if the local council had responsibility for your care. This is sometimes called ‘being looked after’ by the local council. This might have been a foster, residential, secure or formal kinship care placement.

‘Continuing care’ is when you stay with your foster, kinship care or residential care placement up to the age of 21.

A local council in Scotland must have been responsible for your care placement. If you were in care in another part of the UK, you can get Care Leaver Payment if a council in Scotland was responsible for your placement.

You cannot get more than 1 Care Leaver Payment.

How to get Care Leaver Payment

You don’t need to apply for the payment. It will be paid to you automatically by your local council when you leave care and start to live independently.

When you leave care, the council will tell you:

• if you’re entitled to Care Leaver Payment

• how the payment will be made

• the reasons for the decision.

The decision must be sent to you in a way that gives you a record you can show to other people, like a letter or an email.

If you haven’t heard from the council and think you should get Care Leaver Payment, you can:

• tell the council why you think you’re entitled to the payment, and

• ask the council to make a decision about your entitlement.

How it will be paid

Care Leaver Payment will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account.

In some cases, if you agree, the payment can be made:

• with vouchers

• with a mix of cash and vouchers

• directly to a provider of goods and services

• in 2 equal instalments.

If the council thinks you might be at risk of financial abuse, it can make some or all of the payment with vouchers. It should ask for and listen to your views about this.

Find out more about how you can take the payment on the Scottish government website.

When it will be paid

Care Leaver Payment will be paid as soon as possible after you:

• leave care, or

• stop getting continuing care.

If Care Leaver Payment is paid in 2 instalments, the council must agree a date with you when the second instalment will be paid.

You can choose what to spend the money on. The council will give you advice to help you make the best use of the money.

Asking for a review

If the council decides you’re not entitled to Care Leaver Payment, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again. This is called a review.

The council’s decision will tell you how to ask for a review. You should tell the council why you think you should get the payment.

You must ask for the review within 1 year of the date you were told the council’s decision.

The decision will be reviewed by someone from the local council who was not involved in making the original decision. They should do this as soon as possible after you ask for the review. They might ask you for more information.

The council must tell you the outcome of the review as soon as possible.

If the council decides you’re entitled to the payment, it will tell you how the payment will be made.

You can get help to ask for a review from a Citizens Advice Bureau.

You cannot appeal if you don’t agree with the review decision.

How Care Leaver Payment affects tax and other benefits

Care Leaver Payment is not means-tested so it doesn’t matter what your income is.

You don’t pay tax on Care Leaver Payment, and it won’t reduce any benefits or other financial support you get.

Advice and support

The council must give you advice and support before and after you get Care Leaver Payment. This is to help you make the best use of the payment when you start to live independently.

The council must provide an interpreter if you ask for one or if it thinks one is needed.

You can ask to have another person to support you when you are discussing Care Leaver Payment with the local council - for example, a friend or family member. They might be able to help you:

• express your views

• ask for information

• make decisions.

Get more help

You can get advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau.

Who Cares? Scotland provides information and support to young people who have experience of being in care. Find out how to get support on the Who Cares? Scotland website.

Find out more in the Care Leaver Payment guidance for young people on the Scottish government website.