Where the £7.6m for children went

In September 2026 the Scottish Government announced £7.6 million for local neurodevelopmental support for children, young people and their families. It shared the money between all 32 councils. The news release and the guidance to councils do not include how much each council received, so we asked under Freedom of Information, and this is the answer.

• £7.6mshared between 32 councils for 2026–27
• £5.86per person aged 5 to 25 (the age range used in the formula), Scotland as a whole
• £50,000minimum per council, received by the three island councils

How it was split. The Government says allocations “were calculated based on 86% of the £7.6 million allocated on the basis of population aged 5 to 25, 7% on rurality and 7% on deprivation, with a minimum allocation of £50,000 per local authority.” Its guidance to councils says the money can pay for “needs-based support for children, young people and their families with neurodevelopmental support needs, including those with a diagnosis, awaiting assessment, or not seeking or requiring a diagnosis”, for “children and young people who are aged 0–18 years, and young adults aged 18–24 (and up to age 26 for care experienced people)”. So the 5 to 25 age range is the population the Government says it used to divide the money, and the guidance sets the ages the support can be for. Read the Government’s response (PDF)