Children's Handbook Scotland 2025/26Chapter 9: Adoption 3. Benefits once you have adopted a child
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3. Benefits once you have adopted a child
This section describes what happens to benefits once an adoption order has been granted in your favour by the court.
Child benefit
Once you have adopted a child, you can claim, or continue to claim, child benefit, provided you satisfy the normal rules set out on here.
Any adoption allowance you receive does not affect child benefit.
Statutory adoption pay, statutory paternity pay and statutory shared parental pay
See here for when you can claim statutory adoption pay (SAP), statutory paternity pay (SPP) and statutory shared parental pay (SSPP).
Means-tested benefits
Universal credit
Once you have adopted a child, your universal credit (UC) includes the child element for them, providing you are responsible for them.
The two-child limit (see here) does not apply if you adopt a child (agency adoption). This means that even if you already have two or more dependent children and you adopt a child born on or after 6 April 2017, you can get the child element in your UC for the child who has come to live with you, providing you satisfy the normal conditions of entitlement.1Sch 12 para 3 UC Regs You count as responsible for them if they normally live with you.2Reg 4(2) UC Regs If you subsequently give birth to a child, the child placed for adoption is disregarded when applying the two-child limit.3Reg 24A(1)(za) UC Regs
The amount of housing costs element you get in your UC reflects the number of bedrooms you need, including for the child you have adopted. Your work allowance should reflect the fact you have a dependent child (see here). If you are working, you may be entitled to help with childcare costs (see here). If you are a single person, you are not subject to any work-related requirements for the first 12 months after the child has been placed with you. If you are a couple, the person who is the main carer for the child is not subject to any work-related requirements.4Reg 89(1)(d) and (3) UC Regs and s19(6) WRA 2012
Any adoption allowance you receive does not count as income for UC.5Reg 66 UC Regs
 
1     Sch 12 para 3 UC Regs »
2     Reg 4(2) UC Regs »
3     Reg 24A(1)(za) UC Regs »
4     Reg 89(1)(d) and (3) UC Regs and s19(6) WRA 2012 »
5     Reg 66 UC Regs »
Employment and support allowance
If you are getting income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) when you adopt a child, your income-related ESA may not be affected, although if you claim UC, your income-related ESA will stop.
Any adoption allowance paid for a child you have adopted is disregarded for income-related ESA.1Sch 8 para 26(1)(a) ESA Regs
Contributory ESA is not means tested and therefore is not affected by any adoption allowance you receive.
 
1     Sch 8 para 26(1)(a) ESA Regs »
Pension credit
You can get pension credit (PC) if you satisfy the rules set out on here. When you adopt a child, your PC should include the child addition for them.1Sch 2A para 3 SPC Regs If you are paid an adoption allowance, it is disregarded as income for PC purposes.2s15 SPCA 2002
 
1     Sch 2A para 3 SPC Regs »
2     s15 SPCA 2002 »
Housing benefit
Note: if you are not already getting housing benefit (HB), you are likely to have to claim UC instead, unless you are over pension age or living in certain types of accommodation.
Once you have adopted a child, they count as part of your household for HB purposes, provided you are treated as responsible for them. You are responsible for the child if they normally live with you. If there is any doubt about who is responsible for a child, they are treated as living with you for HB if:1Reg 20 HB Regs; reg 20 HB(SPC) Regs
    •you get child benefit for them; or
    •no one gets child benefit but you have claimed it; or
    •no one has claimed child benefit, or more than one person has claimed it, but you appear to have most responsibility.
Adopting a child can change the amount of HB you get. The reasons why HB entitlement might change include the following.
    •Being responsible for a child increases your applicable amount (see here). This is the figure used to calculate how much HB you get.
    •If your HB is calculated on the basis of a local housing allowance (this only affects tenants in the private rented sector), the local housing allowance that applies to you might change. See here for more information.
    •You may have childcare costs, which can be allowed for in the HB calculation.
    •If you are under pension age and live in the social rented sector, your HB may be reduced because you are considered to be under-occupying your accommodation (see here). This may change when you adopt a child.
Any adoption allowance you are paid is disregarded in full for HB.2Sch 5 para 25(1)(a) HB Regs; reg 29 HB(SPC) Regs
 
1     Reg 20 HB Regs; reg 20 HB(SPC) Regs »
2     Sch 5 para 25(1)(a) HB Regs; reg 29 HB(SPC) Regs »
Scottish child payment
If you adopt a child, you can get Scottish child payment for the child if you satisfy the conditions of entitlement (see here).
Non-means-tested benefits
Child disability payment
If the child you have adopted gets child disability payment (CDP), they keep getting it. Once you have adopted a child and have parental rights and responsibilities, you are responsible for your child’s CDP without having to be appointed by Social Security Scotland.1s85A SS(S)A 2018
 
1     s85A SS(S)A 2018 »
Carer support payment
If the child you adopt is getting the middle or highest rate care component of CDP, you may be able to claim carer support payment (CSP), provided you satisfy the normal rules (see here). You cannot get CSP if you are ‘gainfully employed’ – ie, if you are earning more than £196 a week. Adoption allowance does not count as earnings for this purpose,1Sch 2 para 1 CA(CSP)(S) Regs although SAP, SPP and SSPP do count as earnings.2Sch 2 para 8(1)(j) CA(CSP)(S) Regs
If you are entitled to CSP and you also get UC, income-related ESA, PC or HB, you should get the carer element, carer premium or carer addition in your applicable amount.
 
1     Sch 2 para 1 CA(CSP)(S) Regs »
2     Sch 2 para 8(1)(j) CA(CSP)(S) Regs »
Other benefits
Best Start grant
You can qualify for a Best Start grant pregnancy and baby payment if you adopt a child aged under 12 months. You must claim before the child is one year old.1Sch 2 EYA(BSG)(S) Regs You cannot claim a pregnancy and baby payment if you already received the payment when the child was placed for adoption (see here).2Sch 2 para 1 EYA(BSG)(S) Regs The payment is £767.50, or usually £383.75 f if you have another child under 16 in your household.3Sch 2 EYA(BSG)(S) Regs
If you adopt an older child, you may be entitled to an early learning payment or a school-age payment (see here). You can get a Best Start grant for the child even if someone else (eg, the birth mother) has already received a Best Start grant for the child.4Sch 2, 3 and 4 EYA(BSG)(S) Regs
 
1     Sch 2 EYA(BSG)(S) Regs »
2     Sch 2 para 1 EYA(BSG)(S) Regs »
3     Sch 2 EYA(BSG)(S) Regs »
4     Sch 2, 3 and 4 EYA(BSG)(S) Regs »
Health benefits
Adopting a child may mean you become entitled to health benefits. If you have adopted a child aged under three, you may be entitled to help under the Best Start food scheme. This is a prepaid card that can be used to buy healthy food such as fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs and pulses (see here).
Children are automatically entitled to free dental treatment and vouchers for glasses.