Best Start Grant - interim evaluation: qualitative research (annex B)

Footnotes

1 https://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/how-scotland-can-do-right-thing-loosen-povertys-grip-children. The measures quoted are for relative poverty. Relative poverty is the proportion of children living in

households with equivalised incomes below 60% of the median (middle) UK income in the current year.

2 Scottish Government (2019) Child Poverty update.

3 Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 asp 6

4 Scottish Government (2018) Every child, every chance: the tackling child poverty delivery plan 2018-2022. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/child-chance-tackling-child-poverty-delivery-plan-2018-22/

5 Scottish Government (2018) Every child, every chance, p.189.

6 If you are a parent over the age of 18, you can apply for the Best Start Grant (whether you're in work or not), if you are receiving one of these benefits: Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Pension Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). If you are a parent under the age of 18, you do not need to be on any payments or benefits to apply for Best Start.

7 https://cpag.org.uk/news-blogs/news-listings/social-security-scotland-one

8 This list was added to throughout the fieldwork period to aid the recruitment of a wide range of parents and carers. By the end of the fieldwork period over 70 national and local organisations were contacted.

9 The information sheet stated the purpose of the research, who was conducting the research, who the funder was, what participating in the research would involve, the gift voucher respondents would receive, how the information respondents provided would be used and how respondents’ personal details would be kept confidential. The privacy notice outlined in more detail how personal data are stored and used and respondents rights concerning the data they provide in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

10 One interview was conducted in person before lockdown.

11 This included information and contact details of services that could be useful to parents and carers e.g. parenting support, mental health support and financial support.

12 Third party data security and confidentiality agreements are in place with the transcription services used by ScotCen. Recordings and transcripts are transferred via a secure FTP folder. Transcripts of interviews are stored in a secure folder and will only be accessed by the ScotCen research team.

13 Social Security Scotland’s Client Diversity and Equalities Analysis in December 2019 showed that 7% of those who applied for a BSG or Best Start Foods up until December 2019 were men. Further details can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-scotland-client-diversity-and-equalities-analysis-to-december-2019/

[n] BSG cannot be applied for a child if they’re in residential care or foster care. This is because it’s the role of your local council to provide support.

[o] Parents under 18 years old and 18/19 year old parents who are dependent on someone else, do not have to be on a qualifying benefit.

[p] BSG cannot be applied for a child if they’re in residential care or foster care. This is because it’s the role of your local council to provide support.

[q] Parents under 18 years old and 18/19 year old parents who are dependent on someone else, do not have to be on a qualifying benefit.