Social Security Scotland – Page 13 – The NEN

Increase in social security benefits from 1st April

Additional support for people who need it most

Twelve Scottish Government benefits including Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Best Start Grants will be increased by 10.1% on 1 April, backed by investment of around £430 million.

The Scottish Child Payment was increased by 150% in 2022 to £25 per eligible child per week.

A total of 13 Scottish Government benefits are now being delivered through Social Security Scotland, seven of which are only available in Scotland.

Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “We are committing £5.2 billion for social security benefits in 2023-24, providing support to more than one million people in Scotland. This is £776 million above the level of funding we are forecast to receive from the UK Government for social security through Block Grant Adjustments.

“The choices we have taken in our Budget represent a significant investment in people and are key to our national mission to tackle child poverty. They will help low-income families with their living costs, support people to heat their homes in winter, and enable disabled people to live full and independent lives. This is money that will go directly to people who need it the most.”

12 Scottish Government benefits will be increased by 10.1% on 1 April 2023. These are:

Child Winter Hearing Assistance
Carer’s Allowance Supplement
Young Carer Grant
Job Start Payment
Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment
Best Start Grant School Age Payment
Adult Disability Payment
Child Disability Payment
Best Start Foods
Best Start Grant Pregnancy & Baby Payment
Funeral Support Payment
Winter Heating Payment

Scottish Child Payment was increased to £25 per eligible child per week in November 2022. This represented a 150% increase in eight months.

184,000 getting £25 Scottish Child Payment

£155 million in payments since introduction in February 2021

There were 184,000 children and young people getting £25 per week in Scottish Child Payment by the end of 2022, latest statistics show.

The figure includes 78,000 who have received it since the payment was extended to include children aged between six and 16 in November.

Social Security Scotland had provided decisions to just over half the people who applied on the extension of the payment by the end of 2022.

Decisions for the majority of people who applied or added additional children to their award between 14 November and 31 December 2022 have now been issued and this will be reported on in the next round of statistics.

Scottish Child Payment was announced in the summer of 2019, with the first payments being made in February 2021.

Since then it has risen from £10 per week per child to £25 per week per child – a 150% increase in value.

It means that the amount paid out to children totals £155 million until the end of last year.

Ahead of extending Scottish Child Payment to under-16s, local authorities also made more than 1.1 million Bridging Payments across 2021 and 2022 to the families of school age children worth a total of £169.3 million.

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: ““These figures demonstrate our commitment to tackling child poverty and the significant financial support we have made available to meet that aim.

“This is just a snapshot of all the work being done since Scottish Child Payment was extended and increased until the end of 2022.

“We’ve since processed tens of thousands more applications.

“This represents remarkable progress in the delivery of the most ambitious child poverty reduction measure in the UK.

“That increased payment of £1,300 per child per year is now benefitting families across Scotland.

“We want to make sure that everyone gets the help available to them. Parents or carers who are on universal credit, tax credits or other benefits and who have children under 16 should check through Social Security Scotland if they are eligible.”

Social Security Scotland: Best Start Grant – School Age Payment

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS TODAY

£130m for disabled children since launch of benefit

Minister urges those eligible to apply

More than £130 million has been distributed to thousands of families with disabled children since the launch of a Scottish Government benefit.

The latest official figures show the families of over 54,000 children and young people were receiving Child Disability Payment in December last year.

Just over 13,000 of these are from new applications. More than 41,000 children and young people have had their award transferred from Disability Living Allowance for children from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Child Disability Payment.

Social Security Scotland are on course to have transferred the awards of almost everyone still receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for Children in Scotland by Spring.

Child Disability Payment helps cover the extra costs of caring for a disabled or terminally ill child or young person.

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “Child Disability Payment helps parents to support their children and assists young people to live their lives to the fullest. Therefore, it is welcome news that so far more than £130 million in Child Disability Payments has been distributed to thousands of families with disabled children, to help cover extra costs.

“New applications are increasing, and Social Security Scotland is working to process these as quickly as they can, while seeking to ensure that right decisions are made first time. We are only being asked to look again at decisions in a very small proportion of cases.

“The process of transferring people’s awards from the DWP’s DLA for children to our Child Disability Payment is also continuing at pace, and on course to be almost entirely complete in the Spring.

“The Scottish social security system has been designed in partnership with those who have experience of applying for benefits previously. This has helped us to build a system that is easier to access, and where people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

“I urge anyone who thinks they, their child or someone they know may be eligible for Scottish Government benefits to check and apply.”

Jamee Killin, from Edinburgh, applied for Child Disability Payment for her daughter who has ADHD. She said: “The process of applying was straightforward and the staff were extremely helpful.

“I have already recommended it to people and would urge anyone who thinks they might be eligible to apply.”

Carer Support Payment to be piloted by the end of this year

Timetable for introduction of future benefits confirmed

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 14^th 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.”

SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald welcomes £50 boost to around 27,500 households in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Pentlands MSP Gordon Macdonald has welcomed the news that around 27,500 households across Edinburgh will receive an automatic £50 from the Scottish Government’s new Winter Heating Payment in the coming few weeks regardless of the weather conditions.

The new payment replaces the Cold Weather Payment – a Westminster benefit administered by the DWP – that only paid out when the temperature in Edinburgh fell far enough for an extended period.

This meant many areas across Scotland missed out on any help at all from one year to the next because it was just not cold enough for long enough.

In contrast, the new £50 Scottish payment is guaranteed to be paid to every eligible household regardless of what the weather is like.

Earlier this week, the SNP Scottish Government received the data needed from the DWP to identify everyone in Scotland who is eligible. That data is now going through a quality assurance process to make sure all payments are paid safely and securely.

And the money will be delivered to eligible households later this month and next.

Commenting Mr Macdonald said: “This really is a massive improvement for around 27,500 hard-pressed households across Edinburgh.

“We have replaced the old Westminster payment – which only paid out when the temperature plunged for a sustained period – with a new Scottish payment that is reliable because it is guaranteed every year and does not depend on the temperature turning Baltic.

“It means those in need will get the much-needed extra cash this month or next without having to shiver away at home while hoping the weather stays cold long enough to trigger a payment.

“Last winter, no cold weather payments were made across whole swathes of the country. In total, only 11,000 people in the whole of the country received the cash from Westminster. This year, because of the SNP Scottish Government, around 27,500 households across Edinburgh alone will get an extra £50 to help with the Tory cost-of-living crisis.

“And the total amount paid out by Westminster also varied enormously from year to year. Between 2015 and 2022, an average of only £8.3million was given out in Scotland to an average of 185,000 households.

“The new Scottish benefit will see £20million put into the pockets of 415,000 households in the next few weeks.

“That means around 27,500 households in Edinburgh are guaranteed to receive £50 to help with their bills – regardless of how cold it is.”

Deadline looms for School Age Payment

Families urged to make sure they don’t miss out

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.”

Independent Advocacy Service celebrates one year anniversary

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

Additional support for people who need it most

£155 million in payments since introduction in February 2021

Minister urges those eligible to apply

Timetable for introduction of future benefits confirmed

Families urged to make sure they don’t miss out

Views sought on mobility element of disability benefit