New figures published this week show the payment of £25 per week was reaching 323,315 children - an increase of more than 7,000 compared to 30 June 2023.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission had forecast that the average number of children receiving support in 2023/24 would be 309,000.

The statistics release also shows that the combined overall amount paid out across Social Security Scotland’s five family payments, since they launched, is more than £596 million.

That’s made up of £458.5m for Scottish Child Payment and £138.1m for the rest of the five family payments - Best Start Foods and three Best Start Grants (Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment) combined.

The average time taken to process applications has also improved across the five family payments.

For Scottish Child Payment, the average wait was six working days in September, down from 13 working days in June.

For Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, the average wait was four working days, down from 12 over the same period.

Cabinet secretary for social justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “As the First Minister has made clear, tackling child poverty is a key mission for the Scottish Government and these figures show we are reaching more of the children and young people who need our help. We’re doing it more quickly too.

“It is estimated that Scottish Child Payment will lift around 50,000 children out of poverty in the current financial year.

“Our work with this uniquely Scottish benefit is in stark contrast with the UK Government’s approach of continued austerity, further outlined in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement last week.

“Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods and our Best Start Grants provide a robust safety net and are among many actions we are taking in government to lift people out of poverty.

“However, I would continue to encourage people to spread the word as we want all eligible people to get the help they are entitled to.”

The Scottish Government has twice increased Scottish Child Payment; first from £10 to £20 per week per child then £25 when it extended to include all eligible children under 16 in November last year.