People in Highland Perthshire who receive Scottish Child Payments and qualify for the Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age payments will have paid them automatically from this week, without the need to apply for them separately.
The two payments are part of a package of five family payments for low-income families which can total up to £10,000 by the time a family’s first child turns six and up to £9,700 for the second and subsequent children.
Minister for Social Security, Ben Macpherson said: “Our extension to the Scottish Child Payment and its increase to £25 per child per week has been widely welcomed and will make a significant difference to families across the country. The increase represents a rise of 150% in just eight months.
“The increase and extension was described as a watershed moment in tackling child poverty by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and already people have applied in their tens of thousands.
“Tackling child poverty is a key mission for the Scottish Government and automating payments, where we have the information we need to do so, will mean parents and carers automatically getting the financial support they are eligible for paid directly to them.
“We are committed to making sure that receiving our five family payments is as straightforward as possible, using our limited social security powers and resources to help”.
Social Security Scotland will notify clients by text, when they are checking eligibility for the Best Start Grants and if they are eligible will write to advises them of the payment.
The move to automatic awards will mean less paperwork for tens of thousands of families and ensure that families automatically receive the support to which they’re entitled, and builds on work already completed to make applying for our five family payments as simple as possible, includes the ability to apply for all children in a household on a single form.
You can find out more about Scottish Child Payment and the other five family payments at www.mygov.scot/fivefamilypayments
Eligible families, and carers can find out more and apply at www.mygov.scot/beststart or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.