Young Carer Grant is £308.15 for people who:
are aged 16 to 18
have provided care for an average of 16 hours per week, for the last 3 months
Find out more and apply: http://mygov.scot/youngcarergrant
Could you be eligible for Young Carer Grant?
Tag: Social Security Scotland
£698,000 set to support 6,821 families in Edinburgh to buy school clothes
The Scottish Government has set to support 6,821 school children in Edinburgh with £698,000 of support to buy school clothes through the School Clothing Grant.
The School Clothing Grant was increased this month by the Scottish Government and provides families with primary school children with £120 per child and £150 per child in secondary school.
The support helps families pay for school clothes and shoes.
Applications are still open for eligible parents to apply for the start of the new school year. To apply, parents should visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/food-clothing/free-school-meals-school-clothing-grants.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald said: “The SNP Scottish Government has already helped a significant number of families in Edinburgh with buying school clothes and shoes, and applications are still open for eligible families to apply for the start of the new school year.
“Meeting the costs of buying school clothes can be very challenging for thousands of families across Scotland and the SNP Scottish Government has introduced the School Clothing Grant to ensure every child in Scotland doesn’t miss out.
“Being in a uniform not only breaks stigma in school but gets young people in the right mindset for learning.
“This is another demonstration of our tale of two governments – one in Edinburgh building a social security system built on dignity, fairness and respect, in stark contrast to the one in Westminster preparing to cut Universal Credit which could plunge 20,000 children in Scotland into poverty.”
The number of children and young people estimated will benefit from the minimum school clothing grant, broken down by local authority area, is provided within the following table:
| Local Authority | Estimated number of children and young people (in each LA area) |
| Aberdeen City | 3,471 |
| Aberdeenshire | 3,376 |
| Angus | 2,473 |
| Argyll and Bute | 1,463 |
| Clackmannanshire | 1,349 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 3,374 |
| Dundee City | 6,045 |
| East Ayrshire | 4,167 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 2,014 |
| East Lothian | 1,682 |
| East Renfrewshire | 1,714 |
| Edinburgh, City of | 6,821 |
| Eilean Siar (Western Isles) | 416 |
| Falkirk | 4,678 |
| Fife | 11,882 |
| Glasgow City | 28,464 |
| Highland | 4,333 |
| Inverclyde | 3,114 |
| Midlothian | 2,018 |
| Moray | 1,434 |
| North Ayrshire | 5,186 |
| North Lanarkshire | 10,234 |
| Orkney Islands | 227 |
| Perth and Kinross | 1,850 |
| Renfrewshire | 5,498 |
| Scottish Borders | 2,220 |
| Shetland Islands | 309 |
| South Ayrshire | 2,926 |
| South Lanarkshire | 10,622 |
| Stirling | 1,692 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 3,530 |
| West Lothian | 6,498 |
| SCOTLAND | 145,080 |
The funding allocation of the £11.8 million in additional funding for the school clothing grant, broken down by local authority area, is provided within the following table:
| Local Authority | Additional funding for school clothing grants |
| Aberdeen City | £351,000 |
| Aberdeenshire | £371,000 |
| Angus | £239,000 |
| Argyll and Bute | £155,000 |
| Clackmannanshire | £136,000 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | £354,000 |
| Dundee City | £357,000 |
| East Ayrshire | £334,000 |
| East Dunbartonshire | £146,000 |
| East Lothian | £218,000 |
| East Renfrewshire | £147,000 |
| Edinburgh, City of | £698,000 |
| Eilean Siar (Western Isles) | £43,000 |
| Falkirk | £363,000 |
| Fife | £935,000 |
| Glasgow City | £1,940,000 |
| Highland | £469,000 |
| Inverclyde | £161,000 |
| Midlothian | £191,000 |
| Moray | £187,000 |
| North Ayrshire | £379,000 |
| North Lanarkshire | £929,000 |
| Orkney Islands | £40,000 |
| Perth and Kinross | £274,000 |
| Renfrewshire | £363,000 |
| Scottish Borders | £245,000 |
| Shetland Islands | £29,000 |
| South Ayrshire | £237,000 |
| South Lanarkshire | £678,000 |
| Stirling | £161,000 |
| West Dunbartonshire | £234,000 |
| West Lothian | £436,000 |
| SCOTLAND | £11,800,000 |
It’s for your benefit: Five family payments
Help with school clothing costs
Eligible families can apply for a grant of at least £120 to help with the cost of school uniforms.
The Scottish Government and local authority leaders have reached an agreement to increase the national school clothing grant to a minimum of £120 per eligible primary school pupil and £150 per eligible secondary school pupil. This will be supported by £11.8 million of additional funding to local authorities.
The announcement marks another commitment for the first 100 days of this Government.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School uniforms can place a significant financial burden on families, some of whom are already facing additional hardship as a result of the pandemic.
“This school clothing grant will help to relieve some of that pressure for around 145,000 families and it will help to ensure that all children can go to school feeling comfortable, confident and ready to learn.”
COSLA Children and Young People’s spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “Councils and schools are working to tackle the costs of the school day, ensuring that all children are able to fully participate in their education.
“Working with the Scottish Government, we are pleased that the national minimum school clothing grant has been increased and that families can get extra support as we continue on the road to recovery from the pandemic.”
Eligible families can apply for the school clothing grant through their local council.
Social Security Scotland: 2900 young carers receive cash support
Figures published this week reveal that 2,945 young carers in Scotland have received one or more annual payments of Young Carer Grant since its launch on 21 October 2019 until 30 April 2021.
The Young Carer Grant quarterly statistics show that 3,615 payments were issued up to 30 April 2021 and that the total value of Young Carer Grant payments issued to clients by 30 April 2021 was £1.1 million.
The payment is £308.15 each year for young people who provide care for an average of 16 hours a week.
Applications were received from young people living in all local authorities throughout Scotland. The highest number of applications were 780 from Glasgow – accounting for 14% of all applications received to the end of April 2021. The next highest was 435 from North Lanarkshire, 350 from Fife and 310 from South Lanarkshire.
To view the full report click here.
Best Start Grants: support for families in Scotland
Eligible parents of children aged 4 and 5 are being encouraged to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment worth over £250.
The School Age Payment is open to families who get tax credits or certain benefits and have a child who was born between 1 March 2016 and 28 February 2017.
The one-off payment can be used for anything from a new pair of shoes to books or arts and crafts materials. Parents who have deferred their child’s entry to school from August 2021 to August 2022 should still apply before the closing date on 28 February 2022 – if an application is made after this time it will be too late.
Best Start Grant School Age Payment is one of 5 benefits for families in Scotland. These are:
• Scottish Child Payment
• Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment
• Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment
• Best Start Grant School Age Payment
• Best Start Foods
Applications are open for School Age Payment
Eligible parents of children aged 4 and 5 are being encouraged to apply for financial support worth over £250 – applications opened on 1 June 2021.
The School Age Payment is open to families who get tax credits or certain benefits and have a child who was born between 1 March 2016 and 28 February 2017.
The one-off payment can be used for anything from a new pair of shoes to books or arts and crafts materials.
Parents who have deferred their child’s entry to school from August 2020 to August 2021 should still apply before the closing date on 28 February 2022 – if an application is made after this time it will be too late.
Are you eligible for Job Start Payment?
Young people returning to work are being urged to check if they are eligible for Job Start Payment.
Over 1,000 young people have already benefited from this support since it launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s more than £277,000 invested so far in helping those whose job prospects have been hardest hit over the past year.
Job Start Payment is now £252.50, or £404 if the applicant has children and is available to young people who have been on certain benefits for 6 months or more. This payment could help with travel costs or could be used for clothing, lunches and other expenses that need to be met before someone receives their first salary.
Figures recently released cover the period from 17 August 2020, when Job Start Payment launched, to 31 March 2021.
People can apply for Job Start Payment for up to 3 months after their start date.
You can find out more and apply through mygov.scot or by calling 0800 182 2222.
Social Security Scotland: Are you entitled to family payments?
For local help and advice about your benefits contact Granton Information Centre, telephone 0131 552 0458, 0131 551 2459 or email info@gic.org.uk
Best Start Grant boost for parents
Low income parents are being encouraged to apply for the financial support they are eligible for. This year’s Best Start Grant School Age Payment opens today to families who get tax credits or certain other benefits and have a child who was born between 1 March 2016 and 28 February 2017.
Even if the child is not starting school, eligible parents and carers should still apply before the closing date on 28 February 2022.
The payment is part of five family payments delivered by Social Security Scotland that also include: Best Start Foods, Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and Scottish Child Payment.
Best Start Foods payments are set to increase to £4.50 per week on 1 August to support low income families to buy healthy food for children under the age of three.
To maximise the support available to families, income thresholds that apply to certain qualifying benefits are also set to increase.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “The Scottish Government is working hard to tackle poverty and to create a fairer society, with the powers and resources that we have.
“As part of this, we are set to increase our Best Start Foods payments within the first 100 days of this new term of government, and we are determined to make sure families with young children get all the financial help that is available.
“We are providing support worth about £5,000 by the time a child turns six through our Best Start Grant, Best Start Foods and the Scottish Child Payment. People can apply for these payments on one simple, straightforward form – and I urge all those who are eligible to make sure they apply by visiting mygov.scot/beststart or calling 0800 182 2222.
“Access to financial support is important and we want people get the money they are entitled to. So please check if you’re eligible and, if so, make sure to apply – and let others know too, so that together we can help build a fairer society here in Scotland.”