Tag: benefits

20,000 can get Best Start Foods for the first time

Rule changes extend eligibility for help with food shopping

Changes to a key Scottish Government benefit will see an estimated 20,000 people able to access money to help with the cost of food shopping for the first time.

Rule changes around eligibility for Best Start Foods come into force today, (Monday Feb 26) extending eligibility by making it easier to qualify.

Best Start Foods, which was paid to more than 46,000 people in 2022/23, is money every four weeks to help pay for healthy food from pregnancy until a child turns three.

It’s delivered on a pre-paid chip and pin card which can be used in most stores and online.

Before the changes which come into force today, it was paid to people who receive qualifying benefits as long as their incomes did not pass certain limits. Those income thresholds have now been removed in a move which means thousands more will be able to successfully apply for a card.

Other rule changes have made it simpler for eligible young parents to receive the benefit.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This is an important day for the Scottish Government in terms of our mission to tackle poverty and protect people from harm.

“In 2024-25 we are committing a record £6.3 billion for benefits expenditure, providing support to over 1.2 million people.

“This is £1.1 billion more than the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for social security, demonstrating our commitment to tackling poverty.

“Making this investment allows us to take measures like the one which comes into force today – giving critical help with buying healthy foods to those who need it most.

“It will further benefit the whole economy when cards are used and the cash is spent.”

The changes were welcomed by charity Edinburgh Community Food Aid Network. Chief Executive Officer, Brenda Black said: “The importance of nourishing food for both mother-to-be and infant cannot be overstated: the first 1000 days of a child’s life are crucial for growth, development, and long-term health.

“We welcome the positive changes in ‘Best Start Foods’ to help thousands of extra families in Scotland access a healthier diet.

“Edinburgh Community Food’s team of skilled nutritionists promotes Best Start Foods’ within our communities, to improve and sustain the health and wellbeing of future generations of Scots.”

School Age Payment deadline looms

The deadline to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment is midnight on 29 February 2024.

Your child could be eligible if they were born between 1 March 2018 and 28 February 2019 and your family receives Universal Credit, tax credits or other qualifying benefits.

If you get Scottish Child Payment then there’s no need to apply. Your School Age Payment will arrive automatically. But there are some people who don’t get Scottish Child Payment who might still be able to get School Age Payment – for example those who get housing benefit.

If you think you could be eligible, please visit our website and apply before 29 February 2024:

bit.ly/BestStartSchoolAgePayment

Over 43,000 automatic payments to help families with cost of living

Best Start Grants awarded without need for a separate application

More than 43,000 payments have been paid automatically to help parents and carers with the cost of living and starting school, latest official figures show.

The introduction of automatic payments means that tens of thousands of people getting Scottish Child Payment have been awarded Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age Payments without the need to apply separately.

For each of the two benefits, people are awarded one-off payments of £294.70 per child to help with costs like clothes, toys and school trips.

Some parents and carers don’t get Scottish Child Payment but could still qualify for the two grants and they have been urged to apply.

These include people who opted out of automatic payments and some who get housing benefit.

On a visit to Ibrox Primary School and nursery in Glasgow, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The introduction of automatic payments means we are getting money to families quickly in the crucial early years of their child’s development, as these figures show.

“The majority of eligible people get these payments automatically, but we are urging those who don’t to check if they are eligible and get the support they are entitled to.

“The UK Government makes no equivalent provision to either the Early Learning or School Age Payments and removing the need for separate applications has made things even simpler for people who need this support most.

“While the UK Government chose to continue with welfare cuts in the middle of a cost of living crisis, the Scottish Government has allocated £3 billion each year to protect people as far as possible.

“In 2024-25 we are committing a record £6.3 billion for benefits expenditure, providing support to over 1.2 million people.

“This is £1.1 billion more than the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for social security, demonstrating our commitment to tackling poverty.”

Satwat Rehman, the chief executive of charity One Parent Families Scotland said: “Many of the single parents we support have limited access to digital devices so automation ensures that children in need will not lose out.

“Due to the inadequate levels of Westminster’s benefits these payments help at some of the most important stages of a young child’s development to give them the best start in life.”

Ensuring Adult Disability Payments meet people’s needs

Edel Harris appointed to chair independent review

Edel Harris OBE, former chief executive of the charity Mencap, has been appointed to chair the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.

The Independent Review – a Programme For Government commitment – will consider people’s experiences of the Scottish benefit to ensure it continues to meet the needs of disabled people.

Adult Disability Payment is paid to disabled working age adults in recognition of the extra costs of being disabled or having a long-term health condition. It is currently supporting 137,490 disabled people in Scotland and has provided £461.8 million in payments since it was launched in August 2022.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Edel Harris brings a wealth of experience to this important position, both from her leading roles in third sector organisations and her personal experience as a family carer.

“A year on from the national launch of Adult Disability Payment, we are fulfilling our pledge to have an independent review to ensure it is meeting the needs of disabled people both now and in the future. Ms Harris will ensure the views of disabled people and groups that represent them are heard throughout the review.

“I am committed to continuing to improve the experience of people receiving this benefit – to ensure they are supported in line with the principles of dignity, fairness, and respect at the heart of our social security system.”

Adult Disability Payment was introduced in August 2022 as a replacement for the UK Government’s Personal Independence Payment. It is paid to disabled working age adults in recognition of the extra costs of being disabled or having a long-term health condition.

Working people reminded they can still qualify for Scottish benefits

Payments not just for those out of work

As many people return to their jobs following the festive break, those in part-time and full-time work have been reminded that they can qualify for Scottish Government benefits.

People in work can receive many of the payments administered by Social Security Scotland, including those designed to help low-income families.

The Scottish Government also delivers Job Start Payment – a one-off payment to help young people who haven’t been working meet the costs of starting a new job.

In Scotland, around one in three people getting Universal Credit are in work, and Universal Credit is a qualifying benefit for several other payments.

Thousands of working people get Scottish Child Payment and the other benefits which make up Social Security Scotland’s five family payments.

These consist of three Best Start Grants – Pregnancy & Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment – and Best Start Foods.

People with jobs can also qualify for Adult Disability Payment, with qualification not based on employment or income, and one-off payments including Winter Heating Payment and Funeral Support Payment.

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley Anne Somerville said: ““In January there are lots of people starting new jobs or returning to work for the first time in a while and I’d urge them to check what benefits they may be eligible for.

“I’d particularly highlight the support available to young people starting in work via Job Start Payment.

“This one-off payment can make a difference with the costs of getting up and running in a new job and again we want to make sure it reaches as many eligible people as possible.

“We are helping people across Scotland through the cost-of-living crisis by committing £6.1 billion in social security benefits and payments. That’s £1.1 billion more than the Block Grant Adjustment received due to spend on comparable benefits by the UK Government.”

 Job Start payment helps with the costs of starting a new job such as paying for travel, work clothes or childcare. Eligible people receive a one-off payment of £294.70 or £471.50 if they are a main carer of any children.

It is available to those between the age of 16 to 24 who are already getting qualifying benefits and have been out of paid work for six months prior to finding a job. Care leavers can apply for a further year (up to the day before their 26th birthday) and only need to be out of work and receiving a qualifying benefit on the day of the job offer, not for the previous 6 months.

 Social Security Scotland administers 14 benefits on behalf of the Scottish Government: Social Security Scotland – Benefits

Are you missing out on benefit entitlements? Call Granton Information Centre on 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458 to arrange an appointment for a benefits check – email appointments@gic.org.uk

Social Security Scotland improves the move from Child to Adult Disability Payment

SOCIAL Security Scotland has improved the way people who get Child Disability Payment move over to Adult Disability Payment.

When disability assistance was first introduced, if someone was eligible for Adult Disability Payment, it would be paid from the date their application was approved.

This meant the day they received Adult Disability Payment could be different from the day they’d previously received Child Disability Payment.

Clients told Social Security Scotland this could cause difficulty managing their finances. SSS have listened and Adult Disability Payment will now be paid on the same day as their Child Disability Payment previously was.

No matter when they’re approved for Adult Disability Payment, the client’s last Child Disability Payment will be the same amount that they’ve always received, at the time they expect to receive it. This will be followed four weeks later by their first, full Adult Disability Payment on their usual payment day. This means clients will know how much they are going to get and when they will get it.

The exception to this is if a decision is made on someone’s Adult Disability Payment application after their 19th birthday.

Applying for Adult Disability Payment

People don’t automatically move from Child Disability Payment to Adult Disability Payment. This is because someone who is eligible for one may not be eligible for the other, or they may not be eligible for the same amount of money even if they are eligible for both benefits.

People who get Child Disability Payment can apply for Adult Disability Payment from the age of 16. When a child or young person reaches age 16, they are legally responsible for their own benefits and can manage them themselves. If they are unable to do this, we can appoint someone to do it for them.

Child Disability Payment normally stops when the person reaches 18, so it’s important clients apply for Adult Disability Payment well before this time. If they don’t, their Child Disability Payment will stop.

If they apply for Adult Disability Payment before reaching age 18 and a decision has not been made before their birthday, then their Child Disability Payment can continue (until age 19).

We aim to contact people who get Child Disability Payment three times to encourage them to apply for the adult benefit.

The first time is five months before the person’s 16th birthday. We contact them twice more once they are 17. But clients don’t need to wait for a letter from us to make their Adult Disability Payment application.

There are special rules for clients who have a terminal illness. They receive the maximum Child Disability Payment award and can choose to stay on this benefit indefinitely. If they choose to move to Adult Disability Payment, we transfer them with no need for an application form and they will also get the maximum award.

Winter Heating Payments begin

Social security support to help eligible people with heating costs

Money to help with heating costs is on its way to around 400,000 people on low incomes through the Scottish Government benefit Winter Heating Payment.

Winter Heating Payment is paid in batches to eligible clients, with the first payments paid this week. The majority of people will receive their payment by the end of January 2024.

This annual payment of £55.05 targets low-income households that have additional need for heat, including households with young children, disabled people and older people, providing stable, reliable support every winter.

Winter Heating Payment was first paid in winter 2022-2023 and replaces the DWP Cold Weather Payment. Unlike the DWP benefit that was reliant on the weather being sufficiently cold for a sustained period of time, Winter Heating Payment guarantees that everyone who is eligible will receive a payment every year, no matter the weather.

The majority of people eligible for Winter Heating Payment who were already getting qualifying benefits during the week of 6- 12 November will get it automatically, with no need to apply. It is paid through Social Security Scotland and people will get a letter to let them know they are eligible.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We are investing around £22 million this winter through Winter Heating Payments to support 400,000 people on low incomes across the country at a time when they are struggling with the cost of living crisis and higher energy bills.

“Winter Heating Payment guarantees that everyone eligible will get  a payment every year, rather than the UK Government approach of requiring the weather being sufficiently cold for a sustained period of time.

“Our annual, reliable payment will support people on low incomes with the costs of heating their homes throughout the winter, we know it is harder for these households to spend more money to heat their homes.

“The vast majority of people will receive the payment automatically either this month or next.”

The UK Government’s Cold Weather Payments triggers a £25 payment only when the average of the mean daily temperature recorded for 7 consecutive days was equal to or below zero degrees. In contrast, the Scottish Government’s Winter Heating Payment provides reliable financial support through an automatic £55.05 payment, no matter the weather.

An individual may be eligible to receive Winter Heating Payment if they are in receipt of any of the following benefits: Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Support for Mortgage Interest.

As with the  UK Government’s Cold Weather Payments, additional qualifying criteria for some of these benefits may also need to be satisfied, for example in relation to disability premiums paid to the client or if a disabled or young child is in their household.

Minimum Income Guarantee in an independent Scotland

Enabling people to thrive and live with dignity

The latest paper in the Building a New Scotland series, Social Security in an independent Scotland, published this week, outlined how a Minimum Income Guarantee could ensure everyone can achieve a dignified standard of living.

The proposals included how a Minimum Income Guarantee could:

  • be set at a higher rate than current UK Government benefits and respond to real changes to the cost of living
  • enable all households to live with financial security
  • ensure those who are able achieve the minimum income level through fair and accessible paid work

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “With limited powers, the Scottish Government has already delivered transformative social security benefits that have made a real difference to people’s lives. Due to the policies of this government, an estimated 90,000 fewer children are expected to live in poverty this year.

“However, we want to go further and that is why we have proposed that a Minimum Income Guarantee could be introduced in an independent Scotland to ensure everyone has enough support to not only survive, but to thrive.

“The UK approach to social security has provided inadequate levels of financial support and has eroded the effectiveness of the safety net. It is only with the full economic and fiscal powers of an independent nation that we can use all the levers other governments have to tackle inequalities in Scotland.”

Social Security in an independent Scotland

social-security-independent-scotland-paper-9Download

Scots urged to use unspent Best Start Foods balances

Christmas letter will remind families to use money on card   

Hundreds of people who get the Scottish Government’s Best Start Foods benefit will receive a pre-Christmas reminder urging them to spend large balances which have built up on their cards. 

Letters will be sent by Social Security Scotland to cardholders who have accrued balances of £600 or more. 

Best Start Foods is money £19.80 every four weeks by pre-paid card during pregnancy and for any children between one and three years old. The payment increases to £39.60 from birth until the age of one. 

The card can be used to help with the cost of milk and healthy foods like fruit, vegetables and eggs as well as first infant formula. 

People who get the card need to activate it by calling 0808 196 1687 – then it is topped up every four weeks. 

However, a small number of people who get it have either never activated the card or stopped using it – meaning balances build up. 

It’s this group who are being reminded they have money to spend. 

After receiving the first of these letters, more than 100 cards have since been activated and tens of thousands of pounds spent by recipients. 

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We want to ensure people get access to every bit of financial support to which they are entitled. 

“It’s part of our approach to social security to make sure that we treat people with dignity, fairness and respect and that they’re not obstructed or ignored.

“Our message to people who get Best Start Foods is to look out their cards and check balances. It’s simple to do, either online or at cashpoints. 

“The money can be a big help to families dealing with the costs of Christmas and New Year.”