More than 43,000 best start grants paid automatically, figures show

More than 43,000 payments have automatically been provided to help parents and carers with the cost of living and starting school, figures show.

The latest Scottish Government data shows 24,200 of the best start grants paid automatically between November 2022 and September 2023 were the school age payment, while 18,895 were for early learning.

Thousands of people in receipt of the Scottish child payment are awarded the grants without needing to apply separately.

Parents and carers are awarded one-off payments of £294.70 per child to help with the cost of clothes, toys and school trips.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville welcomed the investment during a visit to Ibrox Primary School in Glasgow.

The visit came ahead of a Holyrood debate where Ms Somerville highlighted the record spending on welfare.

She said it came on the back of the UK Government “steadily dismantling the welfare system”.

The Scottish Budget for 2024-25 includes £6.3 billion for benefits expenditure.

Ms Somerville has also urged parents and carers who do not qualify for the Scottish child payment to check if they are still eligible for the best start grants.

These include people who have opted out of automatic payments and some who receive housing benefit.

Ms Somerville said: “The introduction of automatic payments means we are getting money to families quickly in the crucial early years of their child’s development, as these figures show.

“The majority of people eligible get these payments automatically, but we are urging those who don’t to check if they are eligible and get the support they are entitled to.

“The UK Government makes no equivalent provision to either the early learning or school age payments and removing the need for separate applications has made things even simpler for people who need this support most.

“While the UK Government chose to continue with welfare cuts in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, the Scottish Government has allocated £3 billion each year to protect people as far as possible.

“In 2024-25 we are committing a record £6.3 billion for benefits expenditure, providing support to over 1.2 million people.

“This is £1.1 billion more that the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for social security, demonstrating our commitment to tackling poverty.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “Our £104 billion support package over 2022-2025 is worth an average of £3,700 for every UK household.

“Cost of Living Payments alone, spread across 2023/24, are worth up to £900 for those on means-tested benefits.

“We’ve raised benefits in line with inflation and changes to Local Housing Allowance mean more than 1.6 million private renters on Universal Credit or Housing Benefit will be around £800 better off per year.

“This is on top of the two percentage point cut in National Insurance, benefiting 2.4million Scottish workers, and from April there will be the biggest ever increase in the National Living Wage, which will see the rate go up by more than a pound an hour to £11.44.”