Redress Scotland payment levels: fixed rate, levels 1 to 5 and next of kin payments
Last updated · By Mustafa Bilgic · Amounts from the Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021, figures from the Scottish Government and Redress Scotland
This page explains each payment level, who can apply, how the level is decided, what is deducted and what the latest figures show. The calculator works out the payment for each type of application, after any deductions.
Redress Scotland payment levels
Everyone who is eligible receives at least the fixed rate. An individually assessed payment adds a further sum of £10,000, £30,000, £50,000, £70,000 or £90,000 to it, so the totals run from £20,000 to £100,000.
| Payment | Total paid | Made up of |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed rate payment | £10,000 | fixed rate only |
| Individually assessed, level 1 | £20,000 | £10,000 fixed rate plus £10,000 |
| Individually assessed, level 2 | £40,000 | £10,000 fixed rate plus £30,000 |
| Individually assessed, level 3 | £60,000 | £10,000 fixed rate plus £50,000 |
| Individually assessed, level 4 | £80,000 | £10,000 fixed rate plus £70,000 |
| Individually assessed, level 5 | £100,000 | £10,000 fixed rate plus £90,000 |
| Next of kin payment | £10,000 | the fixed rate, shared equally between children if there is no partner |
Redress Scotland payment calculator
Payment by type and level, after deductions
Who can apply
Section 18 of the Act says a person can apply if they were abused while a child, meaning under 18, and resident in a relevant care setting in Scotland, and the abuse happened before 1 December 2004. The scheme covers physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Relevant care settings include children's homes, List D or approved schools, penal institutions including young offenders' institutions and borstals, secure accommodation, school hostels, long-term residential care including hospitals, and boarded out or foster care. The scheme opened on 8 December 2021.
How the payment level is decided
A panel from Redress Scotland decides each application. For an individually assessed payment the panel must have regard to the nature, severity, frequency and duration of the abuse, using the assessment framework in the statutory guidance. For a fixed rate payment you must show you were living in a care setting when you were abused, but you do not need documents as evidence of the abuse itself. For an individually assessed payment you need supporting documents as evidence of the abuse. Redress Scotland prioritises applicants who have a terminal illness and those aged over 68.
Next of kin payments
If a survivor died on or after 1 December 2004, their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can apply for the next of kin payment of £10,000. Where the survivor died after the scheme began, this applies only if they had not applied, or died while their application was ongoing. A cohabitant must have been living with the survivor as if married for at least 6 months, and where there was both a spouse and a cohabitant, only the cohabitant counts. If there is no partner, the survivor's children can apply, including stepchildren and anyone the survivor treated as their child, and the £10,000 is divided equally between the surviving children.
Deductions and the waiver
- Previous payments: section 42 deducts earlier payments for the same abuse, including court damages, settlements, Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme awards, other statutory schemes, the advance payment scheme and ex gratia payments. Legal fees included in those payments are not deducted. Payments received before the section came into force are uprated using the Treasury's GDP deflator before they are deducted, so the deduction can be larger than the sum you received. Our guide to criminal injuries compensation explains CICA awards.
- Waiver: to accept an offer you must sign a waiver abandoning and giving up civil proceedings about the abuse against the Scottish Ministers and the organisations that contribute to the scheme.
- Time to decide: an offer stays open for 6 months from the date you receive it, or longer if the panel agrees there is a good reason.
- Benefits: accepting a payment does not reduce or stop UK benefits.
How many payments have been made
By 31 March 2026 the scheme had received 8,736 applications, 4,122 had been passed to Redress Scotland, and 3,799 applicants had accepted a payment offer, with more than £202 million paid. That is about £53,200 for each accepted offer on average (our calculation from those figures). To the end of June 2026, panels had made 3,203 individually assessed awards, together with 1,054 fixed payment and 236 next of kin awards. Redress Scotland reports that level 5 made up around 32% of individually assessed awards in recent years, down from around 40%.
Is there a deadline to apply?
Section 31 sets the application period. It began on 7 December 2021 and ends with whichever is later: the end of 5 years from that day, or 2 years after the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry publishes its final report. The Inquiry is still hearing evidence and plans its Phase 11 hearings for early 2027, so the 5-year date in December 2026 is not the end of the application period. Scottish Ministers can also extend the period by regulations.
Sources and methodology
The amounts were read from sections 38 to 40 of the Act and matched to the level table in Redress Scotland's Facts and Figures report. The calculator applies sections 39, 40 and 42 and was tested for each payment type and deduction.
- Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021, on legislation.gov.uk.
- Application Facts and Figures, April to June 2026, on redress.scot.
- Scotland's Redress Scheme: 2026 combined annual report, on gov.scot.
- Apply for Scotland's Redress Scheme, on mygov.scot.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Redress Scotland payment?
A fixed rate payment is £10,000. An individually assessed payment is £20,000, £40,000, £60,000, £80,000 or £100,000, for levels 1 to 5. A next of kin payment is £10,000.
What is the average Redress Scotland payout?
The Scottish Government reports more than £202 million paid to 3,799 applicants who accepted an offer by 31 March 2026. That works out at about £53,200 each on average, by our calculation.
Who decides the Redress Scotland payment level?
A Redress Scotland panel, looking at the nature, severity, frequency and duration of the abuse and using the assessment framework in the statutory guidance.
Are earlier compensation payments deducted from redress?
Yes. Court damages, settlements, Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme awards and other payments for the same abuse are deducted, apart from legal fees. Older payments are uprated for inflation before they are deducted.
Does a redress payment affect my benefits?
No. mygov.scot says that if you accept a payment offer, your UK benefits will not be reduced or stopped.
When does the Redress Scotland scheme close?
The application period ends with the later of 5 years from 7 December 2021 and 2 years after the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry publishes its final report. The Inquiry is still hearing evidence, so the scheme does not close in December 2026.