Consultation on Job Grant

Overview

The Scottish Government is consulting on its key eligibility criteria and format of the Job Grant, a new benefit which will be delivered by Social Security Scotland to support young people moving back into employment. The grant will be paid to 16-24 year olds (up to 26 years old for care leavers) who have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit specified by the Scottish Government.

To be eligible, most young people will have to have been out of paid work for 6 months before they receive an offer of employment.

Job Grant will consist of a one-off cash payment of either £250 or £400, the higher amount being payable to young people who have children.

The Job Grant aims to help meet the initial costs of starting work and support a smooth transition into employment for young people on low incomes.

The proposals in this consultation are subject to agreement being secured with the UK Government on the legal parameters of Job Grant. The Job Grant is not provided for by the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. Instead, an Order under section 63 of the Scotland Act 1998 will give the Scottish Government further powers to arrange assistance under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973. Work is underway on this at present.

Why We Are Consulting

The purpose of this consultation is to gather views on the key eligibility criteria for Job Grant and our proposal for the format of the payment. We also want to identify any unintended consequences of our proposals.

We would like to gather views from a range of organisations and individuals, in particular young people, to ensure we have identified the best solution. In addition to asking questions about the policy we are also asking for views on the potential impacts of the Job Grant on different groups and also on businesses.

What Happens Next

The responses to the consultation will be analysed and considered before final policy decisions are made.

The Job Grant will be delivered by Social Security Scotland. Social Security Scotland will have the systems, staff, processes, geographical reach and the legal powers to administer the Job Grant across the whole of Scotland. The Agency’s head office is in Dundee, with a second major base in Glasgow and client advisors based in both locations. Once the Agency is fully operational there will also be a local delivery presence in local authority areas across Scotland. This will enable an accessible and person-centered service by providing a local presence across Scotland to meet people’s needs by giving them a choice in how they access the service.