The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendment and Transitional Provision) (Scotland) Regulations 2022: business and regulatory impact assessment

Background

The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017^[2] sets ambitious interim (2023) and final (2030) targets for the reduction of child poverty, Scottish Ministers are required to publish child poverty delivery plans at regular intervals, with annual reports to measure progress. The first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan (TCPDP)^[3] was published in March 2018 and outlined plans up to and including 2022. It set out a range of policies and proposals to help us make strong progress towards the targets. Recognising the key role of social security, the delivery plan committed the Scottish Government to work towards the introduction of an ‘income supplement’ – a new benefit to support families with children – and a ‘new Best Start Grant’ – a new and expanded grant to support families with children on low incomes at key stages during the early years.

SCP was introduced in February 2021 and as of 1 April 2022, pays £20 a week to low income families with eligible children who are in receipt of qualifying reserved benefits. It is a four weekly payment, and there is no cap on the number of eligible children a family may claim for. The payment is delivered through an application based process by Social Security Scotland.

BSG Pregnancy and Baby payment was introduced on 10 December 2018. As of 1 April 2022, it pays £642.35 for a first child and £321.20 for second and subsequent children. An additional payment of £321.20 is payable in the case of a multiple birth. The Early Learning Payment opened for applications on 29 April 2019 and pays £267.65 per child to support child development. The School Age Payment opened for applications on 3 June 2019 and pays £267.65 per child to help with the costs of preparing for school. There is no cap on the number of eligible children a family may claim for.

The Scottish Government replaced the UK Healthy Start Voucher scheme in Scotland with Best Start Foods (BSF) on 12 August 2019. BSF supports low income families with a pregnant woman and/or a child or children under the age of 3. The payments are delivered via a pre-paid card.

BSF currently provides £18 every four weeks throughout pregnancy, £36 every four weeks from birth until a child turns one to support breastfeeding mothers or help with the costs of providing first infant formula milk, then £18 every four weeks from one until a child turns three.

The most recent Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan^[4] was published in March 2022 and covers the period from 2022-26.