Do you have a child born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018? You may be eligible for the Best Start Grant School Age Payment.
It can be used for books, bags, clothes and equipment.
The payment is made automatically to people who receive Scottish Child Payment.
Your child does not have to take up a place at school to get the payment.
To check if you’re eligible and apply by 28 February, visit bit.ly/School-Age-Payment
Plans for the introduction of further Scottish Government benefits have been published as part of an updated Social Security Programme Business Case.
This confirms that Carer Support Payment will be the next payment to be introduced. Social Security Scotland will begin a pilot by the end of this year followed by national launch in spring 2024.
A consultation on this new payment ran between February and May 2022 and the response to this is due to be published in the coming weeks.
Carer Support Payment will replace the Carer’s Allowance for new applications.
The Scottish Government is continuing to work with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop processes that will ensure those already in receipt of Carer’s Allowance will have their award transferred automatically to Social Security Scotland – so that people will not need to reapply.
Carer Support Payment will be the 14th benefit to be introduced since the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 was unanimously approved by the Scottish Parliament.
Ben Macpherson, Minister for Social Security said: ““Introducing 14 new payments in just over five years is no mean feat. We have built this social security system from scratch, working with the people who will use it to make sure that we provide an improved experience and one that treats people with dignity, fairness and respect.
“Our delivery progressed despite a global pandemic. This was recognised by Audit Scotland who commended us for continuing to ‘successfully deliver new and complex social security benefits in challenging circumstances’.
“We are already providing money that is making a real difference for families on low incomes, people who need help paying for a funeral, disabled people, carers, young people entering the workplace and to help people heat their homes. The people accessing this service are happy with it too – with 89% telling us their experience has been ‘good’ or ‘very good’.
“Our success to date has not made us complacent. Establishing new payments and transferring awards in a safe and secure way continues to be our priority. We have gained a significant amount of experience and knowledge through our delivery to date. This is all reflected in the timetable we have announced.
“I look forward to these payments being up and running and seeing the reach of our new social security system going even further – investing £7.3 billion by 2027-28 supporting 2 million people each year.”
Parents and guardians who get qualifying benefits or tax credits and who have a child born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018 are being urged to check whether they should apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment as this year’s deadline approaches.
Applications for the one-off payment of £267.65 per child, which can be used for books, bags, clothes and equipment for school, have to be submitted by midnight on the 28 February closing date.
The Scottish Government introduced automatic payments for Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment in November 2022. Parents and guardians who get Scottish Child Payment will get School Age Payment automatically when their child reaches eligibility and within the School Age Payment window of 1 June to 28 February.
There are some people who don’t qualify for Scottish Child Payment that could be eligible for School Age Payment, including those who get housing benefit.
There may be others who choose not to apply for Scottish Child Payment who can still apply for School Age Payment. There are also parents and guardians who opted out of automatic payments so they could have more control around when they receive this money. All of these people are being urged to check if they could be due School Age Payment and to apply if they do.
Statistics last week revealed that more than £105.8 million has been paid by Social Security Scotland in the Best Start group of payments – which also includes Pregnancy and Baby Payment and Early Learning Payment.
Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “If you have a child in the family aged five, or who turns five this month, then you could be eligible for School Age Payment.
“We are making it easier than ever to apply but we still ask people to check and make sure they know what they are entitled to.
“The Best Start Grant payments, which include School Age Payment, were the first three of our five family payments to be introduced.
“To date we’ve provided more than £100 million across these three payments.
“Making these payments automatic, where we have the information to do so, will enable us to get this money to families at key stages in their child’s development and when they may face additional costs.”
People are being encouraged to share their views on how a Scottish Government disability benefit supports their mobility needs.
The consultation on eligibility for the Adult Disability Payment mobility element will gather evidence to feed into a wider independent review. Ministers committed to this review to ensure the payment meets people’s needs now and in the future.
The mobility element, one of two components to the payment, supports people who have difficulties moving around or planning and following journeys.
Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “Adult Disability Payment was developed in close co-operation with disabled people as part of our commitment to ensure Scotland’s social security system is delivered with dignity, fairness and respect.
“We want to hear a broad range of views on the eligibility criteria for the mobility element of Adult Disability Payment, particularly from people who are in receipt of disability benefits.
“We have already improved the application process for disability payments, while maintaining our commitment to safely and securely transferring people’s payments from the UK Government. We’d like to know about people’s experiences of this improved system.
“To anyone who receives Adult Disability Payment, or has views on how it is delivered, I would encourage you to respond to our consultation.”
A free independent advocacy service to support disabled people to access Scottish Government benefits has marked its first year in operation.
The Scottish Government is investing more than £20 million to deliver this service over the course of four years. This independent service is available to people with a disability who may need extra support. This could include people with a sensory disability, mental health condition or learning disability. The service is also available to parents or carers who need support to access benefits for a child.
The service, which was introduced in January 2022, enables disabled people to be more involved in the processes and decisions which affect them and advocates will provide the most appropriate form of support to each individual based on their circumstances.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “I am delighted that, in its first year, the Independent Advocacy Service has supported over 550 people applying for Scottish Government social security benefits.
“The service is a key part of our human rights approach to social security and how the values of dignity, fairness and respect in our social security system work in practice.
“The service helping disabled people to access the financial support they are entitled to, and is delivering on our commitment to make our system as inclusive as possible.
“With the Scottish Government’s commitment to invest more than £20 million in it, the advocacy service will be able to assist even more disabled people access the help they are entitled to over the coming years.”
CEO of VoiceAbility, Jonathan Senker said: “Over our first year of delivering the Independent Advocacy Service, people tell me that it enabled them to apply for social security benefits when before they felt daunted by the process. They say that advocates supported them to express themselves openly, when previously they felt obliged to ‘put on a brave face’ or underplay their needs.
“It’s vital that people can access the benefits to which they are entitled. I am proud of VoiceAbility’s skilled team of advocates, who are ready and available to support disabled people across Scotland. I encourage anyone who thinks an advocate could help them to access benefits to contact us. We’re here on the phone, online and in-person to make sure you’re heard when it matters.”
The independent service was introduced in January 2022, ahead of a pilot for Adult Disability Payment – which replaces Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland. Adult Disability Payment was introduced across Scotland in August 2022.
Did you know you can get free, independent support to access Social Security Scotland benefits if you’re disabled? If you’re based in or near Edinburgh, come and chat to Alex at one of our drop-ins:
Alternating Mondays, 1-3pm: Edinburgh Food Project, Pilton food bank at St Margaret Mary, Boswall Pkwy, EH5 2JQ – from 16 January
Every Wednesday, 10am-2pm: The Salvation Army, 36 Wardieburn Drive, EH5 1BZ
Every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, 1-3pm: Edinburgh Food Project, Broughton food bank at Broughton St Mary’s Parish Church, Bellevue Crescent, EH3 6NE
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, 9.30am-1pm: Citizens Advice Bureaux at 23 Dalmeny Street, EH6 8PG – from 12 January
Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, 11am-1pm: Craigmillar Library at 101 Niddrie Mains Road, EH16 4DS
People are being encouraged to check they are not missing out on money and to find out if they could be eligible for any of the 12 benefits administered by Social Security Scotland. Seven of these are only available in Scotland.
The benefits which have been introduced over the past four years are available to people on low incomes responsible for children under 16, for people who need help paying for a funeral, disabled people, carers, young people entering the workplace and to help heat their homes.
Four of these payments are made automatically to people who get other qualifying benefits. To make sure people are maximising their income they should check what DWP benefits they could be eligible for too.
Payments made automatically include Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Child Winter Heating Payment as well as Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and Best Start Grant School Age Payment for those in receipt of Scottish Child Payment.
In addition, the new Winter Heating Payment will be paid automatically to an expected 400,000 people across Scotland when it is introduced in February.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “January is traditionally a month where people find it harder financially than the rest of the year. This pressure can be more acute for people on low incomes or who face additional costs due to a disability or ill-health condition. The cost of living crisis also means that people are facing difficult financial decisions day in and day out.
“We are committed to making sure that people are getting all of the money that they are entitled to. That is why we are making payments automatically where we can. Where people need to apply, we are working hard to promote these payments and make the process of accessing them as straightforward as possible.
“Social Security Scotland works with partners and through advertising to promote our benefits and our next campaign will start this month to encourage parents and carers to apply for Scottish Child Payment.
“People can apply for all our benefits online, by phone, through the post or in person – whatever works best for them. We’ve designed the way we promote and deliver these benefits with the people who they are for to make sure that what we do works for them.
“We want people to talk with others they know about the support that is available. These payments are a shared investment in building a fairer society and no one should think twice about accessing what they are entitled to. Please look into what is available and apply if you think you could be eligible.”
The introduction of Adult Disability Payment, further automation and the increase and extension of Scottish Child Payment has seen more people apply for and get financial support they are entitled to.
Thousands of people have also had their benefit awards transferred to Social Security Scotland from the Department of Work and Pensions.
In March, Adult Disability Payment, which replaces the UK Government’s Personal Independence Payment and is the most complex benefit to be introduced so far, was launched as a pilot project before being made available to eligible disabled adults aged 16 to state pension age in Scotland at the end of August.
In November, Scottish Child Payment increased to £25 and was extended to include eligible children up to age 16 and around 385,000 children are now expected to be eligible.
At the same time, Social Security Scotland introduced further automation. Families and carers who already get Scottish Child Payment will now automatically be paid Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age payments when their child is eligible.
Automatic payments continued for around 90,000 carers eligible for the December payment of Carers Allowance Supplement, as well as around 23,000 disabled children and young people who received Child Winter Heating Assistance to help heat their homes.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “There is no doubt that 2022 has been the biggest and most complex year yet for Social Security Scotland. Creating a new social security system at pace has not been a simple task, but the progress made since 2018 has been substantial.
“Introducing Adult Disability Payment to replace the DWP’s Personal Independence Payment was a significant milestone in the growth of the Scottish social security system and marked a step change, delivering an improved experience for disabled people that is compassionate and rooted in trust.
“With many people facing financial hardship during the ongoing cost of living crisis, extending the Scottish Child Payment to under 16 year olds means that now hundreds of thousands more children will get much needed extra financial support.
“Investing in social security is a priority for the Scottish Government. Our commitment in the 2023-24 Budget to uprate benefits by 10.1% will mean more support going to people on low-incomes, disabled people, carers and young people right across Scotland at a time when many are facing tough financial challenges.
“Though there is still much work to do, we are creating a system to be proud of and building strong foundations to serve Scotland for generations to come, treating people with dignity, fairness and respect. Social security is a human right and an investment in creating a fairer society, together.”
Dad Martin, whose daughter has learning difficulties, says receiving benefits helped his daughter flourish.
He said: “I went on the website and applied for Child Disability Payment. When I got accepted I went from having nothing at the end of the month to having £97 left. This enabled me to do so many things with my daughter and because of that she has flourished.”
Another young woman who received the Young Carer’s Grant this year, said: “It had a positive impact because I needed new clothes so I spent about £100 on clothes and then I shared the rest of the grant with my brother and sister.”
A mum who received School Age Payment for their child said: “I applied for this grant for my child when she started primary one. It was a great help to us to cover the costs of school uniforms and accessories required for school. I would urge all parents to apply for this grant.”
Eligible families and carers can find out more and apply for social security payments at scot/benefits or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222
SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has welcomed the announcement of a new Winter Heating Payment from the Scottish Government.
Around 27,500 households across the city are set to receive the new payment which replaces the old Cold Weather Payment from the UK government which relied on the temperature dropping to a certain level before payments were triggered.
The Scottish Government’s Winter Heating Payment will pay a flat-rate of £50 in February, no matter the temperature, to people on low-incomes who qualify.
Commenting, Gordon said: “The Winter Heating Payment will be the 13th social security benefit set up by the Scottish Government and demonstrates what we can do with limited powers to build a fairer, more equal Scotland.
“It is a welcome step that the new payment will move away from the UK government’s system of issuing support when the temperature drops to a certain level. This will provide a reliable payment for households every winter.
“The new payment is another social security payment that is unique to Scotland and builds on support already available through game-changing benefits such as the Scottish Child Payment – the only payment of its kind in Britain.
“However, the Scottish Government continues to act with one hand tied behind its back. Only with the full powers of independence can we truly provide a system that works for the people of Scotland, not against them.”
Cold Weather Payment in Scotland is changing. Winter Heating Payment will replace @DWPgovuk Cold Weather Payment.
Around 400,000 eligible people will get a reliable annual £50 payment.
Read more: https://mygov.scot/winter-heating-payment
Due to the bank holidays, some benefit payments will be made earlier than usual in December and January.
If your expected payment date is between 24 December and 6 January, you will receive a text message closer to the time advising you of when you will receive your payment.
