Young Carer Grant consultation: our response

2. Implementation of YCG

7. YCG will be delivered by Social Security Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government. Social Security Scotland is headquartered in Dundee with a second base in Glasgow and, once fully operational, will also have at least 400 local delivery posts in place across Scotland. Social Security Scotland currently delivers Carer's Allowance Supplement and Best Start Grant Pregnancy, Baby Payment and Best Start Early Learning Payment and by the end of 2019 a total of seven benefits will have been introduced.

8. We are using an 'Agile' approach to service design, which means that we will continually test evolving designs to make the application process as user-friendly as possible. Insights gained from this research will include how we can make the language used in the application form easy to understand and how we can format the application form so that it meets the needs of young carers. Once YCG payments are being made, we will continue to make improvements based on feedback from people who use the service.

9. We are also looking at how we can make the application process for YCG as streamlined as possible. The principle is that we should place the minimum evidence requirements on young carers to reduce any barriers to application. We recognise that young carers lead busy and sometimes chaotic lives and we therefore want to make the application process as simple as possible.