Families in Scotland claiming certain benefits can now access a range of devolved payments, including the new Scottish Child Payment, which is worth £25 per week for every child under the age of 16. Parents who qualify for the extra financial support, which is paid every four weeks, who are also eligible for the Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age payments will receive them automatically without the need to apply for them separately.
Social Security Scotland will notify eligible claimants by text message when they are checking eligibility for the Best Start Grants and, if they are eligible, will write to advise them of the payment. The move to automatic awards will mean less paperwork for tens of thousands of families and ensure that people automatically receive the support to which they are entitled.
The move builds on work already completed to make applying for Social Security Scotland’s five family payments as simple as possible. It also includes the ability to apply for all children in a household on a single form.
