Five Family Payments Reference Group

Overview

The Five Family Payments Reference Group was set up in July 2021 to allow Scottish Government policy officials to meet with key stakeholders to identify best practice for our five benefits:

• Scottish Child Payment
• Best Start Foods
• Best Start Grant – Pregnancy and Baby Payment
• Best Start Grant – Early Learning Payment
• Best Start Grant – School Age Payment 

This group is just one of the ways in which we engage with our stakeholders and clients.

The group:

• helps inform the evidence to support policy development and improvements in relation to Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods and Best Start Grant
• provides input into the evaluation of Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods and Best Start Grant and considers how the findings can be taken forward
• represents the views and interests of people with “lived experience” of the benefits system
• supports communication activity and helps to promote awareness of the five benefits

The group will meet every three to six months with meetings hosted electronically initially.

Members

• Danny Boyle, Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure in Scotland
• Matilda Bryce, Child Poverty Action Group
• Stephanie Millar, Citizens Advice Scotland
• John Cunningham, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
• Lyn Pornaro, Disability Equality Scotland
• Jill Wood, Engender
• Carole Anderson, NHS Borders
• Katie Dee, NHS Scotland
• Anne Baldock, One Parent Families Scotland
• Fiona King, Save the Children
• Chris Birt, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Polly Jones, The Trussell Trust
• Mathew James, Voluntary Health Scotland

Publications