During the school summer holidays families can face increased costs for everything from childcare and extra activities to food bills.
We are asking our partners and stakeholders to help spread the word about financial support available and ask people to check if they are eligible for any of our family payments.
Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment – one-off payment of £314.45 to help with the costs of early learning when a child is between two, and three years and six months
Best Start Grant School Age Payment – one-off payment of £314.45 to help with the costs of starting school available between 1 June and the last day in February in the year when a child is first old enough to start primary one
Best Start Foods – up to £42.40 every four weeks from pregnancy up to when a child turns three to help buy healthy food, milk and first infant formula.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Government extended eligibility by removing income limits for Best Start Foods. Now, anyone who gets a qualifying benefit, and is pregnant or has a child under 3, is eligible, regardless of their other income.
Some people might not think they are eligible for payments because they are working. However, people in work, whether part-time or full-time, can also receive many of the payments delivered by us, including those designed to help families on low incomes.
In Scotland, around one in three people getting Universal Credit are in work, and Universal Credit is one of the qualifying benefits for getting Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods and the three Best Start Grant payments.
Parents, carers and guardians can get more information at Children and family – mygov.scot or by calling us free on 0800 182 2222.
Seven years after the introduction of the two-child limit, there are almost 1.6 million children in 440,000 families affected by the policy. These families are missing out on up to £3,455 a year per child.
The two-child limit restricts support through universal credit (UC) or child tax credit to the first two children in a family, for children born after 6 April 2017.
Parents having a third or subsequent child after that date are not eligible for support for that child.
The majority of families affected by the policy are living in poverty, despite 59 per cent of these families having one or both parents in paid work.
Affected families report not being able to provide for children’s basic needs, including food, clothing and heating. The policy also means families struggle to pay for housing and childcare.
The policy affects every area of children’s lives. Parents report that children’s education, mental health, and learning and development are all negatively affected by the two-child limit.
Children are also missing out on the ‘everyday’ experiences of childhood such as days out with their family, being able to go on holiday, or having the occasional treat such as an ice cream.
Abolishing the two-child limit is the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty, and the most urgent action the government must take to reduce child poverty.
It would lift 300,000 children out of poverty and mean 700,000 children are in less deep poverty, making a significant difference to the lives of over a million children at a cost of £1.7 billion.
The two-child limit will continue to drive up poverty as more children are born. Child poverty is already at a record high, with 4.3 million children in poverty in the UK today.
This means in an average classroom of 30, nine children are living in poverty.
What impact has the ‘two-child limit’ in universal credit had, and what policy choices does the next government face? – a report by Institute for Fiscal Studies
Low-income families typically receive an additional £3,455 a year of universal credit (or child tax credit) for each child they have1 . But the ‘two-child limit’ means that claimants do not receive an additional amount for third or subsequent children born after 5 April 2017.
This policy has been the subject of controversy, and the Liberal Democrats and Green Party have both committed to abolishing the limit in their manifestos, while the Labour Party have said they will abolish it ‘when fiscal conditions allow’.
In this comment, we (IFS) outline the impact of the two-child limit on household incomes and work incentives, and the public finances.
To illustrate the impact of the policy, take a lone parent with three children who lives in social rented accommodation costing £500 per month2 , and not working.
Their universal credit entitlement will be made up of the basic £4,721 per year in universal credit for single adults; £6,000 to cover the cost of their housing; and – in the absence of the two-child limit – £10,365 for their children3 .
On top of this, they receive £3,102 a year in child benefit, which is unaffected by the two-child limit, giving them a total income of £24,188 (without the two-child limit); they would also generally have support to cover most or all of their council tax bill. The two-child limit means they receive £3,455 less each year in universal credit, representing a 14% cut to their income and putting them into relative poverty.
Turning to the impact across the population, we find that, when fully rolled out, on average affected households will lose £4,300 per year, representing 10% of their average income and 22% of average benefit income4 .
These losses are concentrated among 790,000 households (10% of working-age households with children) and would affect nearly one in five children (2.8 million).
As things stand, the policy affects only 550,000 households. The difference is because there are families with three children all of whom were born before 6 April 2017; as time passes, more and more large families will have children born after that date.
We estimate that 250,000 extra children will be affected by the policy next year and 670,000 extra children will be affected by the end of the next parliament. HMRC statistics show that in 2023, 50% of families affected by the two-child limit were single parents and 57% had at least one adult in paid work.
Figure 1 shows where in the household income distribution households that are affected by the two-child limit sit. For comparison, we also show the equivalent for all households with children and all households with children receiving universal credit.
Unsurprisingly, the two-child limit disproportionately affects poorer households, but the figure shows that affected households are also more likely to have low income than are all universal-credit-receiving families with children.
76% of households affected by the two-child limit are in the poorest 30% of working-age households. In comparison, 63% of households eligible for universal credit with children are in the poorest 30% of working-age households.
Figure 1. Distribution of households affected by two-child limit; universal credit claimants with children; and all households with children, by equivalised income decile
Note: Assumes full take-up of benefits and full roll-out of universal credit and the two-child limit. Only includes households where all adults are under 66.
Source: Authors’ calculations using the Family Resources Survey 2022–23 and TAXBEN, the IFS tax and benefit microsimulation model.
The two-child limit has an (even more) outsized impact on children living in low-income households, as, by definition, a household affected by the two-child limit has at least three children. It affects 23% of households with children in the poorest fifth of the income distribution, but 38% of children in the poorest fifth of the income distribution.
The two-child limit also has varied impacts across families of different ethnicities. We estimate that 43% of children in households with one adult of Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin (400,000 children) would be affected by the policy when fully rolled out, compared with 17% of children in other households (2.4 million children). This reflects both these families having more children and them being more likely to be on low income.
The two-child limit would be even more targeted at the poorest households if it was not for a separate policy: the benefit cap. The benefit cap limits the total amount that a family with no adults in work can claim to £22,020 a year outside London and £25,323 a year inside London (lower amounts are applied for single adults without children). 110,000 households are not directly affected by the two-child limit as the benefit cap already limits their entitlements. Almost all these households are in the poorest fifth of households.
Figure 2 shows relative child poverty rates, defined as being in a household with an income (after housing costs) below 60% of median income, split by the number of children in the household.
Since 2014–15, relative poverty rates have declined for families with one or two children, but they have increased for families with three or more children5 .
Absolute poverty rates have also diverged: they have fallen for small families but remained unchanged for large families. So, in absolute terms, low-income large families are about as well off as they were in 2015, but their incomes have fallen further behind relative to other households, including small families.
Figure 2. Relative child poverty rates after housing costs, 2008–09 to 2022–23
Note: The fall in poverty rates in 2020–21 is at least partly due to benefit expansions in that year, including raising maximum housing support and a temporary £20 per week uplift to universal credit.
The two-child limit is likely one driver of this recent increase in relative child poverty rates for larger families. However, it is not the only explanation. Other benefit cuts are likely to affect larger families more as they on average receive more of their income from benefits (the benefit cap also disproportionately affects larger families); and broader economic trends may also play a role.
Nevertheless, removing the two-child limit would certainly go some way to reversing the recent increase in poverty rates for large families. We estimate that removing the two-child limit would reduce relative child poverty by approximately 500,000 (4% of all children)6 .
The two-child limit has a relatively small effect on work incentives. One statistic that helps explain work incentives is replacement rates: the household’s income if an individual was out of work as a percentage of their in-work household income. The lower someone’s replacement rate, the more incentive they have to remain in work.
With the two-child limit, an average working parent with three or more children has a replacement rate of 62.1%; without it, they would have a slightly higher replacement rate of 63.0%.
This average difference is small for two reasons. First, 28% of these workers are unaffected entirely, as they would not be able to claim universal credit even if they lost work, due to having more than £16,000 in assets or their partner having a sufficiently high income.
Second, for 22% of these workers, the two-child limit actually increases their replacement rate, as it decreases their income when in work but does not affect them when they are out of work, as they would be benefit capped if out of work.
For those who when out of work are eligible for universal credit but not benefit capped – 50% of working parents with three or more children – their replacement rate falls by 4 percentage points.
Naturally, removing the two-child limit would come at a cost. We estimate that removing the two-child limit would cost the government about £3.4 billion a year. For a sense of scale, this is equal to roughly 3% of the total working-age benefit budget; it is also approximately the same cost as freezing fuel duties for the next parliament, or cutting the basic rate of income tax by half a penny.
The indirect fiscal impacts of the two-child limit are more uncertain. Previous research has found that investments in young children can sometimes partly or even entirely pay for themselves by causing better outcomes for those children in later life.
If the same is true of benefit spending in the UK, removing the two-child limit may be less costly in the long run than its up-front cost suggests. However, there is very little evidence on this issue in the UK, though ongoing IFS research is looking to study it.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Is open water swimming good for your heart?
Open water swimming is becoming increasingly popular with almost three million people taking part in the UK. But what is it?
Open water swimming takes place anywhere outdoors that isn’t a swimming pool. This includes lakes, rivers, lochs, seas and reservoirs, all places where there are no man-made sides or bottoms and no lane ropes for you to follow.
Swimming in general is one of the most common forms of physical activity and it is a great workout for your heart. But is open water swimming good for your heart too? Here we look at the benefits and risks of open water swimming and how to stay safe out there.
The benefits
Swimming in general is a great form of aerobic exercise that requires muscular strength and endurance. By adding in the challenges of the open waters varying conditions, it becomes a more intense workout that requires your heart to engage differently with each swim.
Open water swimming has been found to reduce your risk of heart disease through improvements in cholesterol levels, blood pressure and inflammation when practised regularly. It is also an effective weight management method that can help to reduce your body fat.
Due to the horizontal swimming position, your heart must pump blood against gravity, meaning it works harder to get oxygenated blood to your extremities. This means that your heart gets stronger and open water swimming can help improve your circulation.
Being outside in nature and open water can help to reduce stress, anxiety and improve your mood. Submerging your body in cold water can boost your dopamine levels and release endorphins. This has also been found to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system and so improve the quality of your sleep.
The risks
By submerging yourself into cold water, your blood vessels narrow, and your heart rhythm becomes disturbed. This can put your body into shock and can cause a cardiac arrest. Always try to submerge your body gradually and try to control your breathing.
If you swim in cold water for a prolonged period or are exposed to cold air, then you are at risk of hypothermia. Once you exit the water, your body temperature will continue to cool so make sure you get dry and changed as quickly as possible.
If you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, then the increased work rate on your heart could be dangerous.
Make sure you check with your GP before taking part.
How to stay safe
Swimming in open water can be dangerous, especially if you are new to the sport or have an underlying health condition. Make sure you never swim on your own, always go with friends or join a group. This way you have people to look out for you, and you can enjoy the benefits of socialising.
Make sure you wear the correct equipment; this will help to keep you safe, warm, and visible. A brightly coloured swimming cap, goggles and wetsuit are essential.
The colder the water is, the less time you should spend in it. Make sure you spend the right amount of time in the water if you’re in it for too long you’re risking your health.
If you begin to feel unwell at all whilst you’re swimming, get out immediately, get warm and seek help.
Over £829 million in social security payments providing boost for families
The families of more than 329,000 children under 16 are benefitting from Scottish Child Payment, latest statistics show.
The weekly payment of £26.70, which is unique to Scotland, is helping families with the cost of living crisis, with over £677 million paid since the payment launched.
Scottish Child Payment is part of a wider package of payments – including the three Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods – which together have provided over £829 million in vital financial support at key stages of a child’s life.
There is no cap on the number of children in one family who can receive these payments.
In a survey, also released today, the majority of families said that the payments helped their child to take part in social or educational opportunities and also helped them buy milk and healthy food for their children.
Survey responses also suggest that families are finding it straightforward to apply with more than 90% of people noting the application was clear and did not take too long to complete.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “As the First Minister has set out, eradicating child poverty is the number one priority for the Scottish Government.
“Scottish Child Payment plays a key part in that mission. Together with our Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods payments, this package of financial support, which is worth almost £25,000 per child by the time their child turns 16, is helping to make sure all children in Scotland get the best start in life.
“We have provided over £829 million to help people raise their families, putting money into the pockets of people who need it most.
“This crucial cash is available as soon expectant parents know they are pregnant all the way through to their child starting nursery, then going to primary and secondary school and helps them cover costs of caring for their children.
“We know from our recent research that families say the application process is clear and doesn’t take too long to apply. So I would urge families to apply for our package of five family payments and get the money they are entitled to.”
Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be paid on Friday 7 June. The £288.60 payment will be made automatically to people who were getting Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 8 April 2024.
Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment for people in Scotland who get Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on a particular date.
Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid 2 times a year.
The next payment will be £288.60 from 7 June 2024.
You’ll get this payment if you’re getting Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 8 April 2024. If you’re due to get a payment, you’ll get a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made.
When designing our disability benefits, Social Security Scotland collaborated with disabled people and their families to create a better and more compassionate system, putting dignity, fairness and respect at its heart.
Child Disability Payment was launched in November 2021. It helps families cover the extra costs of looking after a child or young person who is disabled, who has a long-term health condition or who is terminally ill. Importantly, it isn’t means tested.
Since its introduction, over 80,500 children and young people have received the payment, with more than £621 million being paid out.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, visited Carrongrange High School – Falkirk Council’s secondary school for pupils with severe and complex additional support needs – on 1 May.
The school’s motto is, ‘Carrongrange – Where you can be all you can be’.
We spoke to children and their families and learned what impact Child Disability Payment has on the lives of pupils who receive it and how it is helping them to live full and independent lives.
Dughall Boyne’s daughter, Rosselyn, has bilateral coloboma, a condition which prevented her eyes from developing properly. She receives Child Disability Payment.
Dughall, father of Rosselyn
According to Dughall: “Child Disability Payment has been very important for Rosselyn.
“Everything costs more when you have a disability. The payments have allowed us to find after-school activities for Rosselyn which have helped develop her independence. She likes horse-riding but riding lessons for the disabled cost a lot more, because you need three people around the horse.
“Rosselyn has now moved on to Adult Disability Payment and the transfer has been very smooth. We were told at regular intervals what was happening with things like setting up the named contact.
“There were no big forms to fill in and it was all online. We just had to tick the box saying that there had been no change in Rosselyn’s condition. Previously, with the DWP, there was a 13-page form to complete. It’s certainly helped to take a couple of hours off the process and it’s been well received by parents throughout the school.”
Catherine and her son Louis
Catherine Sneddon’s son, Louis, also goes to Carrongrange. She echoed Dughall’s words about Social Security Scotland’s human rights approach to delivering disability benefits.
“Louis has been on Disability Living Allowance since he was diagnosed in 2013. Back then I didn’t know if he’d be able to claim and it was a constant battle with the DWP.
“It’s only recently that he’s transferred over to Child Disability Payment. It was much more plain sailing than I anticipated. I expected a fight and what I got was a questionnaire through the post. The level of care he gets has been the same for three years so I ticked the box saying, ‘He’s stable.’ And that was it.
“With the DWP I would have had to get a letter from his neurologist to prove he still needed Disability Living Allowance for children. For them your child is what they see on the form. They don’t know how hard it is to care for a child with a disability at home, at school and in the community.
“Social Security Scotland is so different.”
Janine Proudlock, Carrongrange’s headteacher, described exactly how Child Disability Payment helps pupils be all they can be: “For me the Scottish Child Disability Payment supports families to ensure they have the right resources, at the right to time to do the right work to allow the whole family to flourish.
“Whether it’s caring support or specialised resources to meet their child’s needs, this is an essential fund to improve the lives of young people and their families.”
People can find out more about Child Disability Payment and apply by visiting mygov.scot/childdisabilitypayment or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
The latest government announcement on reforms to financial support for those with ill health or disability is misleading rhetoric. The lives of those with ill health or disability are completely misrepresented, and the language they use is divisive, (writes TUC’s ANJUM KLAIR).
The Government has deliberately confused the purpose of this benefit in order to ramp up its benefit scrounger rhetoric. PIP is not an out-of-work benefit: disabled people in full-time employment can be, and are, assessed as eligible for PIP. It assesses whether someone’s impairment or health conditions affects their day-to-day life and is intended to cover some of the additional costs incurred as a result of being disabled. It is not for assessing if you are capable of work- or work-related activity.
The idea that you can claim PIP for mild mental illness is untrue. The criteria for accessing PIP is stringent. You have to be suffering from severe mental illness. It is a complex application process and have to provide medical evidence.
If the current data is showing rising numbers of those with severe depression and anxiety claiming PIP, you don’t change the eligibility criteria to reduce claimant numbers – you look at the underlying drivers of ill health.
More than a decade of austerity under the Conservatives has resulted in crumbling public services.
The approach by government is to blame individuals. Only recently the Prime Minister attacked those too sick to work, by saying UK had a sick note culture, yet the data on workplace sickness absence does not suggest any substantial challenges.
And again, government conflates two separate areas, sick notes look at short-term illness for those in work and not long-term illness and disability. It is the rise in long-term sickness and disability which is alarming.
The ideas proposed in the consultation also include the insulting suggestion that disabled people are not to be trusted with spending their benefits on essential support. As it moves away from a fixed cash benefit and proposes to reimburse for extra costs, this also assumes that disabled people have the money to pay up front for this.
The consultation also proposes accessing treatments rather than receiving benefits for ill health, yet it is the lack of access to treatment which is exacerbating the increase in ill health. The long delays are well documented. Just for mental health support there is around1.9 million people waiting for support in England,
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to be abolished and eligibility for the health top-up in Universal Credit (UC) ( in this case the health element) will be passported (i.e. approved) via PIP.
The current UC Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element will be replaced with a new UC health element.
Introduce more tailored conversations for claimants with work coaches, to enter suitable employment.
While we have issues with the validity of WCA decisions, it is supposed to assess people’s ability to work, while PIP clearly does not do this. This proposed change would amount to a huge financial cut to those not well enough to work. The IFS estimates that one million disabled or seriously unwell people who can’t get PIP would lose out by £350 a month.
Wider problems in the Government’s plan include the proposed introduction of a new personalised health conditionality approach. Disabled people will also face a higher risk of sanctions, as at present people currently identified as being unable to work and prepare for work are protected but could lose this right under the changes.
Such measures do not consider the structural barriers that stop disabled people from entering into the workplace, such as discrimination from employers, a failure to put in place reasonable adjustments, and inaccessible transport. The result will be many disabled people whose health makes it difficult or impossible to carry out work activity without a realistic chance of getting a job, being threatened with sanctions.
Separately the Government has made changes to descriptors in the WCA to apply from September 2025 for new claimants. As a result, 424,000 fewer people are expected to be assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity by 2028 to 2029.
The theme by the Conservative government is to constantly reduce eligibility to cut social security entitlement for disabled people or those with ill health. Government needs to end this cruel assault on sick and disabled people.
New rules meaning over 180,000 Universal Credit claimants will have to look for more work have come into force today (Monday 13 May), as the Westminster Government helps people progress in work and off welfare.
Universal Credit claimants working less than half of a full-time week will have to look to increase their hours, benefitting from extra work coach support.
400,000 to receive more help to progress in work, as Mel Stride says “I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits”.
Changes come as the PM announces once a generation welfare reforms to help people find work, boost their earnings, and grow the economy.
Before 2022, someone could work only nine hours a week and remain on benefits without being expected to look for more work.
The latest rise in the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) means someone working less than 18 hours – half of a full-time week – will have to look for more work.
These Universal Credit claimants will move into the ‘Intensive Work Search group’, meeting with their work coaches more regularly to plan their job progression, boost their earnings and advance the journey off welfare altogether.
Combined with previous increases, 400,000 claimants are now subject to more intensive Jobcentre support – and with that the expectation that those who can work must engage with the support available or face losing their benefits.
The move comes as last month the Prime Minister announced a once in a generation package of welfare reforms to help thousands more people benefit from employment, building on the Government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan providing extra help to over a million people to break down barriers to work.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Welfare should always be a safety net, and not a lifestyle choice which is why we’re ushering in a new era of welfare reforms to help more people progress off benefits and into work.
“Today’s changes will help more people on Universal Credit move into well paid jobs and progress towards financial independence – which is better for them and for the economy.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP said: “We will always back those who want to work hard, and today we are radically expanding the support available to help people progress in work.
“With the next generation of welfare reforms, I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits and towards financial independence.
“Our plan is making work pay, with people in full-time work now £7,000 better off than on out of work benefits, and our tax cuts putting £900 back in the pockets of millions of workers across Britain.”
The AET determines how much support an individual will receive to find work based on how much they currently earn and how many hours they work.
Together with the accelerated rollout of Universal Credit, even more claimants will benefit from the dedicated employment support offered through our Jobcentres like CV support and skills training, so people can take up better paid, higher quality jobs.
This builds on the significant steps already taken to break down barriers to work, with almost four million more people in employment compared to 2010.
The UK Government is clear those who can work to support themselves, should work, and they should feel better off for doing so.
That’s why the Government is getting tough, putting work at the heart of welfare and enforcing a stricter sanctions regime.
The PM recently announced a package of welfare reform measures, including exploring legislation to close the claims of those who don’t comply with conditions set by their Work Coach after 12 months.
With over 900,000 job vacancies in the economy, the Government ‘makes no apologies for helping people achieve financial security through work, as we grow the economy and help people build a better life for themselves’.
Over £500m in Child Disability Payment paid to families
Parents of disabled children are being urged to make sure they’re not missing out on vital financial support from the Scottish Government.
Child Disability Payment is money to help families cover the extra costs of looking after a child or young person who is disabled, has a long-term health condition or is terminally ill.
Since being introduced in 2021, over 78,000 children and young people have received the payment, with more than £500 million being paid out in total.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville met parents and children at Carrongrange High School in Grangemouth to hear about their experiences of applying for and receiving the benefit and to urge other parents to apply.
Child Disability Payment, paid by Social Security Scotland, has replaced Disability Living Allowance for Children from the Department for Work and Pensions.
The devolved benefit, designed in partnership with parents of disabled children and charities, was designed to be as straightforward and stress free as possible.
Light touch reviews were introduced for children whose condition has not changed since the original application was made. This means children with lifelong disabilities do not need to face ongoing lengthy reviews to continue getting financial support.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Children and young people with a disability, long-term health condition or terminal illness often have additional needs and the costs for families can add up.
“Far too many families found the previous DWP scheme complicated and stigmatising. We were determined to change that and hearing from parents shows that we have.
“The Scottish Government’s social security systems is built on encouraging people to apply, supporting them in the process and getting the decision right first time.”
“I’m pleased Child Disability Payment is there to support families who need extra help and I urge anyone whose child is eligible to apply.
“It’s money they’re entitled to and could help make life a bit easier.”
Catherine Sneddon, 37, Grangemouth, whose son receives Child Disability Payment said:“Louis has been on Disability Living Allowance since he was diagnosed in 2013. Back then I didn’t know if he’d be able to claim and it was a constant battle with the DWP.
“It’s only recently that he’s transferred over to Child Disability Payment. It was much more plain sailing than I anticipated. I expected a fight and what I got was a questionnaire through the post. The level of care he gets has been the same for three years so I ticked the box saying, ‘he’s stable.’ And that was it.
“With the DWP I would have had to get a letter from his neurologist to prove he still needed Disability Living Allowance. For them your child is what they see on the form. They don’t know how hard it is to care for a child with a disability at home, at school and in the community.
Janine Proudlock, Headteacher at Carrongrange High School in Grangemouth said:“For me the Child Disability Payment supports families to ensure they have the right resources, at the right to time to do the right work to allow the whole family to flourish.
“Whether it’s caring support or specialised resources to meet their child’s needs, this is essential money to improve the lives of the young people and their family.”
