
Delay to Child benefit payments next month for parents with specific postcodes
Some parents and guardians due Child Benefit or Guardian's Allowance in the first week of August will see payments delayed by 24 hours. The bank holiday on Monday, August 4 is recognised in Scotland-only and means scheduled payments will not land in accounts until the following day, Tuesday August 5.
Online guidance from HM Revenue and customs (HMRC) confirms the change in payment day will only affect those with a Scottish postcode. It's important to be aware the Scottish bank holiday will not affect any other benefit payments and is due to suspended banking transactions north of the border, and nothing to do with HMRC.
Another bank holiday later in the month - August 25 - will result in Child Benefit, Guardian's Allowance and other benefit payments due on that date to be issued early, on Friday August 22. HMRC and Social Security Scotland have already confirmed changes to payments due on that date while the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is expected to do so nearer the time.
HMRC is in the process of sending reminder letter to parents of teenagers aged between 16 and 19-years-old between now and the end of this month, urging them to extend their Child Benefit claim before a crucial deadline In August, or payments will automatically stop.
Payments will end on August 31, 2025 if the online account is not updated to extend the claim. Those who need to update it include parents with teenagers continuing their education or training after their Scottish Nationals.
Parents can extend their claim quickly and easily via the HMRC app or online on GOV.UK. The letters also contain a handy QR code which takes parents straight to the digital service on GOV.UK.
Child Benefit is worth £26.05 per week - or £1,354.60 a year - for the eldest or only child and £17.25 per week - or £897 a year - for each additional child. More than 870,000 parents extended their Child Benefit claim for their teen last year with the majority confirming online or via the HMRC app in minutes.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's Director General for Customer Services, said: 'Child Benefit is an important boost to families. As soon as you know what your teenager is planning to do, extend your claim in minutes to guarantee your payments continue in September. Simply go to GOV.UK or the HMRC app to confirm today.'
Child Benefit can continue to be paid for children who are studying full time in approved non-advanced education, which includes:
A levels or Scottish Highers
International Baccalaureate
home education - if it started before their child turned 16, or after 16 if they have a statement of special educational needs and it was assessed by the local authority
T levels
NVQs, up to level 3
Child Benefit will also continue for children studying on one of these unpaid approved training courses:
Scotland: Employability Fund programme and No One Left Behind
Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
If a child changes their mind about further education or training, parents can simply inform HMRC online or in the app and payments will be adjusted accordingly.
If either the claimant or their partner has an individual income of between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner will be subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
For families who fall into this category, the online Child Benefit tax calculator provides an estimate of how much benefit they will receive, and what the charge may be.
As part of the UK Government's Plan for Change, families will have the option to use a new digital service to pay the charge directly through their PAYE tax code instead of filing a Self Assessment tax return.
The new service will cut red tape for eligible employed parents who are liable to the High Income Child Benefit Charge but those who choose to pay the charge through their Self Assessment can continue to do so.
Families who have previously opted out of Child Benefit payments can opt back in and restart their payments quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app.
Teenagers turning 16 can take control of their Child Trust Fund savings account, which could be worth thousands of pounds, and can withdraw the money once they turn 18. Child Trust Funds were set up for every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011.
If teenagers or their parents and guardians know who their Child Trust Fund provider is, they can contact them directly. If they don't know where their account is, they can use the free online tool on GOV.UK to find out who their Child Trust Fund provider is.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


STV News
18 minutes ago
- STV News
Whisky tariffs to be halved by ‘fantastic' India trade deal
Scotland's economy is set for a £190m boost from a landmark trade deal with India. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will welcome his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Thursday to sign the deal, which will see tariffs on whisky cut from 150% to 75%, and potentially dropping to 40% in the next decade. Tariffs on soft drinks will also be phased out, falling from 33% to 0%. India is already a key market for Scotland, with 457 Scottish businesses exporting goods worth £610m there in 2024. The new deal is expected to reduce red tape, ease customs rules, and lower trade barriers, opening doors for even greater exports. Ian Murray, the secretary of state for Scotland, welcomed the deal, calling it 'fantastic news' for Scotland's economy and global trade profile. He said: 'From food, drink and textiles production, to clean energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and financial services, Scotland has so much to offer India. 'It's fantastic news in particular for the world-famous whisky industry, with Indian import tariffs slashed on Scotch having the potential to be transformational for the industry. It's also good news for our other national drink, with tariffs on soft drinks cut. 'As the UK Government delivers our Plan for Change, we are also bringing inward investment to Scotland to create jobs, boost economic growth and improve living standards right across the UK.' Jonathan Reynolds, the business and trade secretary, said the benefits would be felt across communities, from higher wages to cheaper goods on the shelves. He said: 'The millions brought to Scotland each year from the deal we've signed with India today will be keenly felt across local communities, whether that's higher wages for workers, more choice for shoppers, or increased overseas sales for businesses. Scotch Whisky Association chief executive Mark Kent said the industry had 'long championed' a deal with India, adding: 'The signing of the FTA is a historic moment and is an important milestone to reducing tariffs on Scotch whisky in a growing market. 'This will contribute to the Government's growth objective, by laying the foundations for further investment and jobs.' Chivas Brothers CEO Jean-Etienne Gourgues described the agreement as a 'game changer.' 'India is the largest whisky market in the world,' he said. 'Greater access will support long-term growth and investment in our distilleries and bottling plant in Scotland.' The trade deal also includes commitments on intellectual property, offering protection for Scottish life sciences and health tech firms exporting to India. UK wages are expected to rise by £2.2bn a year as a result of the deal, with potential savings for Scottish manufacturers importing components and materials. The Scottish Government welcomed the deal and said 'Scotland is open for business'. Business minister Richard Lochhead said: 'The signing of this deal is welcome. India is an increasingly attractive market for Scottish firms given its fast-growing economy, which offers positive trade and investment opportunities. 'The Scottish Government will now consider the full details of the finalised agreement, paying close attention to the implications for Scottish businesses. 'Alongside industry, we have repeatedly encouraged the UK Government to ensure Indian tariffs on Scotch whisky are reduced. 'The opportunity is vast, which is why these new measures must be implemented swiftly. At a time of increased global economic insecurity, it's more important than ever that we champion Scottish products to drive economic growth and support jobs. 'The Scottish Government's position is clear that Scotland is open for business and we continue to work alongside business to maximise trading opportunities.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26auto%3Dwebp%26quality%3D75%26crop%3D3%3A2%2Csmart%26trim%3D&w=3840&q=100)

Scotsman
42 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Luxury car hire firm in windfall US government order ahead of Donald Trump visit to Scotland
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A Scottish family run luxury car rental and chauffeur business has received orders worth hundreds of thousands of pounds from the US government ahead of Donald Trump's visit to the country this weekend. It is understood a slew of lucrative orders placed with the Glasgow firm, Little's Chauffeur Drive, will secure a fleet of vehicles and drivers to accompany the vast presidential motorcade that is being brought to Scotland by the US Air Force. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The US State Department has made at least eight orders to the company since the beginning of July, according to an official database of US federal government spending records. Cumulatively, the delivery orders placed by the US government agency are worth $454,725 (approximately £335,850), with the single largest order, worth more than £90,000, placed on 13 July. The payments were made via the US Embassy in London. Donald Trump is set to return to Scotland, where he will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney. | Scotsman It is understood Mr Trump will arrive in Scotland at Prestwick airport on Friday, when he will depart Air Force One and make his way to Turnberry via a presidential motorcade that is being transported to Scotland. He will travel in a heavily armoured limousine known as 'The Beast'. A spokeswoman for the White House told The Scotsman that Mr Trump's visit was a 'working trip.' It is not clear if vice-president JD Vance will be accompanying him, but a large contingent of US government officials is expected alongside members of the US Secret Service. It is understood the car and driver hire orders placed with Little's will provide transport for that wider entourage. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Little's did not respond to enquiries about the State Department orders. The company, based in Glasgow's Paisley Road West, has previously provided vehicle hire for UK politicians and is accustomed to transporting VIPs and celebrities around Scotland. But since Mr Trump was first elected to the White House, it has counted the US government among its most prized customers. During his first visit to Scotland as president in the summer of 2018, The Scotsman revealed how it received a flurry of delivery and purchase orders from the State Department worth around £850,000. A vehicle in the motorcade for Mr Trump's visit to the UK in 2019. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty | Getty Images Ahead of that visit seven years ago, US federal spending records revealed the sums that were being paid to Mr Trump's hotel at Turnberry for accommodation - a trend replicated at the US president's other properties, and which raised repeated ethics concerns. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Since he first entered the White House during his first term, Mr Trump's Scottish firms have been paid hundreds of thousands of pounds by the US government. The transactions continued even when Mr Trump was voted out of office, with US freedom of information requests filed by The Scotsman detailing the ongoing payments. However, the official US government spending database has not disclosed any payments to Turnberry's parent firm, SLC Turnberry Limited, since 2019, when the State Department booked rooms in connection with a visit to Scotland by Mr Trump's son, Eric.


Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Campaigners walk 185-miles across Scotland for land justice
The walk covers a varied range of landownership from community ownership to venture-capital owned places. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Dozens of campaigners for land justice are set to walk across Scotland for their cause. The 185-mile trek will see participants march between the Isle of Skye and Glasgow in September in a mission called 'Just Walk.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Organisers behind the event, Grassroots to Global, a Scotland-based group campaigning for political change and community empowerment, said the walk will 'rekindle the spirit of those who resisted The Clearances, and who fought for Land Justice during the Crofters Wars.' David Lees or Grassroots Global which is behind the Just Walk event | David Lees The three-week-long excursion is also aimed at bringing conversations of land ownership in Scotland more to the fore. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The campaign group points to the increasing number of private companies buying up large swathes of land in Scotland. David Lees, from Grassroots to Global, said: 'We see this very much in the footsteps of The Jarrow March in the '30s and the Marches for Jobs in the 1980s. Five views in one: Knoydart, Sleat, Eigg, Rum, South Uist | Andy Tibbetts 'Despite past campaigns, there are still huge land ownership issues and we now see venture capital companies buying up huge estates in Scotland. 'The march will allow us to highlight injustices, by drawing attention to a system where communities are often excluded from decision-making about the land they live on.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Covering almost 200 miles, the walkers are set to cross different types of land ownership, from community owned to venture-capital owned, Forestry Land Scotland property to private land. 'We will be holding up a magnifying glass to these different places as well as testing the right to roam,' Mr Lees said. He said while traversing Loch Lomond, the walkers hope to speak to nearby communities about the Flamingo-land controversy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Community Land Scotland (CLS), the main organisations behind community ownership in Scotland, supported the project. Dr Josh Doble, CLS's director of policy and advocacy, said: 'We welcome this walk as a great opportunity to raise awareness of the archaic and deeply unjust issues around land ownership in Scotland. 'It's a long walk, through an area where there is a wide variety of land ownership from corporate, to public, to various levels of private. 'There are also some community owned landholdings en route, which we hope will provide inspiration for what is possible in terms of local economic, social and environmental development if more communities take ownership of land. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The over-concentration of land in so few private hands is highly unusual globally and Just Walk can help raise public awareness of the need for radical change.' The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill is currently being debated in the Scottish Parliament and is at stage two, where it has seen more than 500 amendments. It has faced major criticism from rural organisations, including estates membership organisation Scottish Land and Estates (SL&E) which claimed some measures, including the breaking up of estates, will result in lasting damage to Scotland's rural economy. Others have argued the paper does not go far enough in splitting large land holdings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad According to a blog post written last year by land campaigner and former Scottish Greens MSP Andy Wightman, 433 landowners owned 50 per cent of the privately-owned rural land in 2024 compared to 440 in 2012. The 'Just Walk' walkers will leave from Broadford on Skye on September 17 across the hills out of Knoydart and on to Glenfinnan. After crossing the Corran Ferry, the marchers head for Ballachulish and Glen Coe, before following the West Highland Way to Carbeth and finishing at the Broomielaw in Glasgow on October 7.