Early learning and childcare - 2 year old eligibility - income threshold change June 2021: EQIA

The Scope of the EQIA

This Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) considered whether 2 year old children and parents or carers within protected characteristics groupings faced any barriers, discrimination or harassment as a result of the proposed amendments to secondary legislation.

In order to understand the barriers or impacts that parents or carers in receipt of the qualifying benefits and or eligibility criteria may face as a result of the proposed increase to the income threshold, the following evidence was reviewed:

a) Labour Market Briefing -Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2019^[4]

b) Scottish Household Survey 2019^[5]

c) Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2016-19^[6]

d) Sexual Orientation in Scotland 2017: A Summary of the Evidence Base^[7]

e) Is Scotland Fairer?^[8]

f) The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2018-22 (Annex 2)^[9]

g) What do we know about in-work poverty in Scotland?^[10]

h) The 2015 Budget Effects on Black and minority ethnic people^[11]

i) Regional employment patterns in Scotland: statistics from the Annual Population Survey 2018^[12]

j) Disabled people in the labour market in Scotland: 2018^[13]

k) Scottish Surveys Core Questions 2019^[14]

l) Child and Working Tax Credits statistics: Finalised awards, 2018-19^[15]

m) Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 8 April 2021^[16]

Current evidence relating to pre-school children in particular that information in relation to 2 years olds was also considered.

n) Schools in Scotland - summary statistics: 2020^[17]

o) Summary statistics for schools in Scotland no. 10: 2019 edition^[18]

p) Children's Social Work Statistics Scotland: 2019 - 2020^[19]

q) Scottish Government's 'The Tackling Poverty Delivery Plan' 2018-22

r) Scottish Study of Early Learning and Childcare^[20]