Best Start Grant applications not considered eligible: FOI release

Information requested

 

In relation to an article published in Holyrood magazine that states that almost 14,000 applications were made to Social Security Scotland between 10 December 2018 and 31 January 2019, and two thirds of the applications processed received a payment, you asked:

• why two thirds of these applications were not processed?
• how many of these applications were not considered eligible?
• what criteria deem whether an application is eligible or not?
• were these applications not processed as a number of them came from postcodes or addresses not in Scotland?

 

Response

 

A Scottish Government news release containing information on the Best Start Grant from 10 December 2018 to 31 January 2019, was published on 8 February 2019. This shows that of those applications where a decision had been made by 31 January, around two thirds of applicants had been awarded a payment, and around one third had been denied a payment.

The news release also contains information on reasons for payment being denied (i.e. the applicant was not eligible for BSG), which includes applicants who were outside Scotland, people with children who were over six months old on application, and people applying where they were not in receipt of a qualifying benefit or tax credits. Further details about who is eligible for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment can be found on mygov.scot.

Please note that data contained in the news release are initial management information only. Official statistics, covering the first months of applications for the Best Start Grant, will be published in April 2019. More-detailed analysis will be published in a quarterly publication series starting from August 2019.

In answer to your question on why two thirds of these applications were not processed, this information is incorrect.

The number of applications not processed at 31 January 2019 was not two thirds.

 

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.