Tag: benefits

Scotland in crisis

The amount given in crisis grants to those most in need has increased by more than a third, latest figures show. The Scottish Welfare Fund paid out a total of £3.2 million in crisis grants between July and September 2019 – 34% more than the same period the previous year.

The Scottish Welfare Fund is distributed by local authorities and provides Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants.

Crisis Grants help families on low incomes with unexpected expenses arising out of an emergency or a disaster. Community Care Grants help those on low incomes live independently in the community or to help people maintain their home in the face of exceptional pressure.

The most common reason families said they applied for emergency funding was because their benefits or other income had been spent – up 33% on the previous year.

Estimates suggest the UK Government’s social security spending in Scotland is set to reduce by £3.7 billion per year by 2021. In addition, the benefit freeze and benefit cap are now in their fourth year.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This is the latest evidence that the UK Government’s swingeing benefit cuts are hitting the poorest in Scotland hardest.

“The large increase in people applying for emergency funding shows how much those on low incomes are struggling just to make ends meet.

“The Scottish Government will not stand by and let people who are already in need continue to face a reliance on food banks and the stress of debt and rent arrears.

“That’s why we are continuing to spend over £100 million each year to mitigate the worst effects of the UK Government welfare cuts – part of the £1.4 billion we spent last year to support low income households.

“This is money we should be able to invest elsewhere to help pull people out of poverty but we instead we need to use it to protect the most vulnerable in our communities.

“We are introducing the Scottish Child Payment to tackle child poverty head on which will start for eligible families with a child under six by Christmas. But there is no doubt that without the cuts inflicted on families by the UK Government this could go so much further.”

170,000 children eligible for ‘game-changing’ new benefit

poverty family JRF

Applications will be taken in advance for Scottish Child Payment to help with expected high demand.

An estimated 170,000 children will be eligible for the new £10 weekly Scottish Child Payment when it goes live later this year.

To help manage demand, families will be invited to apply in advance of the benefit being introduced in the autumn. Parents will be able to apply by post, phone and online.

Applications will be assessed for eligibility in the autumn with the first payments made by Christmas.

In an additional move to assist families, Best Start Grant payments, Best Start Foods and the new Scottish Child Payment will all be available through a single application – making it more straightforward for people to access the money they are entitled to.

Social Security Secretary Shirley Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Child Payment has rightly been described as game-changing in terms of the potential to reduce child poverty.

“That is why we are doing everything we can to introduce this as early as possible, whilst ensuring we do so in a way that is safe and secure and protects implementation plans for the other social security benefits.

“When we launched the Best Start Grant payments we experienced significant demand with 14,000 applications in the week that we opened the School Age Payment. With 170,000 children from approximately 140,000 households expected to qualify for Scottish Child Payment, eligibility is on a unprecedented scale and, as this is a recurring payment, it also brings additional complexity.

“We are gearing up to process applications carefully, accurately and efficiently. We are building capacity across our processes, systems, premises and people. And with the roll-out plan, we are asking families to help us by getting their applications in early so that we can process and start making payments as quickly as possible once this new benefit has been introduced.”

What a waste: Holyrood spends £100 million to mitigate Tory welfare cuts

This year more than £100 million has been spent to mitigate the effects of UK Government austerity and this money could have been better spent on more anti-poverty measures, Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said. Continue reading What a waste: Holyrood spends £100 million to mitigate Tory welfare cuts

Person-centred reform to disability payments “will reduce anxiety and stress”

A sea change in social security policy to reduce the anxiety and stress associated with the current UK Government disability payments process has been given strong public support.

A consultation found that Scottish Government proposals for a person-centred approach was favoured over the current ‘one-size-fits-all’ system of the UK Government.

The new Scottish social security system has fairness, dignity and respect designed in from the start. Measures will include:

  • face-to-face pre-application support delivered across the country
  • a multi-channel approach for submitting applications, including telephone, paper-based and face-to-face
  • clear eligibility criteria
  • simplified application form
  • enhanced role for carers in provision of evidence
  • greater choice and control over the timing and locations of assessment, with home-based assessments provided where required
  • profit making companies will not be involved in carrying out assessments for disability payments

This contrasts with the UK Government system which users have criticised for having complicated and inaccessible application routes, unnecessary face-to-face assessments and inaccurate reports.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “I have heard from far too many ill and disabled people who currently know only of stigma, stress and anxiety when it comes to accessing welfare support and fear the ‘dreaded brown envelope’ from the Department for Work and Pensions. 

“That is why I want a sea change in accessing disability payments. A new system designed from the ground up – together with users themselves – that puts people first.

“We are supporting people to access the financial support they are entitled to and actively seeking to move away from the stigma of benefits to recognise they are an investment in our people.

“That means a process that is clear and accessible from start to finish and ensures people understand how and when their application will be dealt with.

“It is part of our promise to the people of Scotland that our social security system is a public service and will treat everybody with fairness, dignity and respect.”

Disability Assistance in Scotland

Disability Assistance Consultation responses

 

 

New benefit for young carers launches next week

Teenage carers in Scotland will be the first in the UK to be given financial support thanks to a new Scottish Government grant. A new benefit will open for applications on Monday, with the Scottish Government investing £600,000 to support almost 2,000 young carers in 2019/20.

The Young Carer Grant will be available for 16, 17 and 18 year olds who spend an average of 16 hours caring for someone who receives a disability benefit. Continue reading New benefit for young carers launches next week

Making Connections course: tomorrow it’s Welfare

Hi folks,
See below for details of the Making Connections course running at the Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.
This Tuesday we are looking at welfare;: where it is going and how we can tackle poverty by legislation.
Come along – all welcome!
Willie Black

Young workers to benefit from Job Start Payment

A new benefit to support young people starting a new job after a period of  unemployment will be introduced next Spring. The Job Start Payment is a new payment to help young people with the cost of starting a new job. Continue reading Young workers to benefit from Job Start Payment

Community Renewal praises Scottish Government’s measures to tackle funeral poverty

From tomorrow, the new Funeral Expense Assistance payment will become available to people who claim certain benefits in Scotland. It is a move by the Scottish Government towards eradicating funeral poverty which has pushed 1 in 7 families into debts of up to £1990.  Continue reading Community Renewal praises Scottish Government’s measures to tackle funeral poverty