CREATING A FAIRER SCOTLAND

SURE START MATERNITY GRANT

Benefit expenditure in Scotland – 2013/14These figures exclude nearly £400million of expenditure on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and Scottish Welfare Fund which are already devolved to the Scottish Parliament. If they are included, total benefit expenditure in Scotland in 2013/14 was around £17.9 billion.

Benefits for people out of work Benefits for elderly people Benefits for people who are ill or disabled

Income Support Financial Assistance Scheme Attendance AllowanceIn Work Credit & Return to Work Pension Credit Carer’s AllowanceCredit State Pension Disability Living AllowanceJob Grant State Pension Transfers Employment & Support AllowanceJobseeker’s Allowance TV Licences Incapacity Benefit

Winter Fuel Payments Industrial InjuriesPersonal Independence PaymentSevere Disablement AllowanceSpecialised Vehicles fundStatutory Sick PayVaccine Damage Payments

Benefits for families with children Benefits for people on low incomes Other

Child Benefit Council Tax Reduction Bereavement benefitsChild Tax Credit Discretionary Housing Payments Christmas bonusGuardians Allowance Scottish Welfare Fund Universal CreditMaternity Allowance Social Fund (regulated)Statutory Maternity Pay Working Tax Credit

Housing Benefit

Benefits to be Devolved

•Scotland Bill•UC Flexibilities agreed

•Scottish Government policy proposals

2015

•New Scotland Act

•Work continues on transition

•Scottish Parliamentary legislation begins

2016

•UC roll out concludes per UKG timetable

•Work continues on transition

•Scottish welfare system emerges

2017 onwar

ds

UK General ElectionScottish Parliament

Elections

Scottish Local

Government Elections

Timetable

The Regulated Social Fund

If the parent is under the age of 20 the exclusion is restricted to children of that parent. It does not include the parents siblings or any other children in the household.

If the other children under the age of 16 in the household are not the claimants responsibility and belong to a parent under the age of 20 then they too do not count.

If a mother has one child under 16 and has twins during a second pregnancy she will receive one £500 grant. If she has triplets she will receive 2 x £500 grants.

  If a mother has twins from a previous pregnancy and give birth to

twins again she will not receive a grant. If her second birth is with triplets she will receive a single £500 grant.

Exclusions to the SSMG

SSMG Applications & Grants with Approximate Scottish

Figures

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/150

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

UK ApplicationsUK Grants

All figures are taken from DWP Annual Reports on the Regulated Social Fund

In 2014/15 there were: 133,000 Applications 66,000 Grants given out UK wide

totalling £33.5 million We estimate that just below 10% or

approximately 6,000 Grants were received by applicants in Scotland making spend in Scotland approx. £3.4m

Applications

What we know about Applicants

Qualifying Benefits UK Awards (000’s)

% of Total UK Awards

Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related), Job Seekers Allowance (Income Related), Universal Credit and Pension Credit

43,100 65%

Child Tax Credit (above the Family Element) and Working Tax Credit (including Disability or Severe Disability Element)

23,200 35%

Data from Annual Report on the Regulated Social Fund 2014/15

Trends in Scotland

• Rising Birth Rate

• Higher fertility rate than rest of UK

• Downwards pressures on incomes

Continued or increasing need for a maternity grant

Continue gathering evidence to inform policy

Scoping out practicalities of delivery

Liaising with projects in the Social Security Programme

What we are doing

Wide options appraisal under way Range of delivery needs for the benefits being

devolved Data sharing critical for all benefits Opportunity to learn from DWP Commitment to respect and maintain the

dignity of the applicant Commitment to working with users on design

and improvement e.g. user panels

Delivery Arrangements

Tackling child poverty, income maximisation, reducing material deprivation

The importance of early years Improving infant and maternal health Policy approach – early intervention,

build on the assets base, take a holistic view, test and learn

Scottish Policy Context

The purpose of the Scottish grant - to improve the resilience of families on low incomes when faced with the costs of a new child (for the first time), as part of an integrated package of social security, health and social care.

The target group : families on low income who may not have the resources to meet the additional costs of a child

The funding available for the grant will be the same as the spend in Scotland at the moment – around £3m a year.

Working Assumptions

In the main stakeholders value the grant and see the SSMG as a straight forward benefit which is generally meeting the need. The main concerns were:

The narrowing of the entitlement Unfairness in relation to qualifying benefits A short application window The level of the grant Pointing out the advantages of a universal

grant

Stakeholder Views

Emerging Logic Model

Use the grant to link users to other services e.g. income maximisation, supported spend, credit unions, advice on baby items/getting most for money

Improve flexibility e.g. option to receive goods rather than cash, extend the window for application.

Improve experience – streamline the process, possible linkage with Healthy Start, online form for people who want it

Use the grant to re-enforce other SG policies eg. To incentivise early booking or to support children who are being adopted and/or in kinship care

For future consideration if money is available – reinstate payments for second and subsequent children, broaden eligibility, a universal grant.

Ideas so far for the devolved grant

Gender, pregnancy and maternity - the role of women in family finances, impacts on work and earnings. For example working parent losing an income stream whilst on maternity/paternity leave or caring for the child. Multiple births

Sexual orientation – different sorts of families Religion and belief – the impact of religious observance

on birth control and family size Race – correlation with poverty, family size and cultural

attitudes to birth, asylum seekers Disability –need for adapted items.

Equalities Dimensions

Help fill gaps in our thinking – other options we have not thought of, connections we can make

Help us identify the advantages and disadvantages of the options

Help us understand the possible equalities impacts

What we need from you

Dorothy Ogle – dorothy.ogle@gov.scot

Michael Sim – michael.sim@gov.scot

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Contacts