The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendment and Transitional Provision) (Scotland) Regulations 2022: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

5. How will the policy/measure give better or further effect to the implementation of the UNCRC in Scotland?

These policies fulfil the UNCRC Article 26 – right to social security.

The extension to the eligibility criteria for SCP will provide additional social security support to parents of children aged 6-15. Increasing the value of SCP to £25 a week we will provide greater financial support for eligible children.

Widening the meaning of kinship care for BSG, BSF, and SCP will ensure that, as we roll out SCP to under 16s, eligible kinship carers who are not related to the child but are known to them and have a pre-existing relationship with the child are included.

Introducing auto-award for elements of BSG will make it easier for eligible families to receive their entitlement.

Providing new exceptions to the general rule that an individual is only entitled to the higher Pregnancy and Baby Payment when they are applying in respect of their first child, will provide greater support for families who are more likely to be starting from scratch without the items that the Pregnancy and Baby Payment is intended to provide.

Widening the meaning of surrogacy for BSG and BSF and removing the condition that the child is not looked after by the local authority in residential care for BSG will allow more low income families to benefit from this support.

We are also taking a number of actions to support the implementation of these benefits which are intended to maximise take up.

Our Charter

The FFP are being delivered by Social Security Scotland and the service it provides is fundamental to successful delivery for children and young people. Our Charter^[15] sets out what people can expect from Social Security Scotland and includes the eight principles legislated in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018^[16], some of which relate specifically to human rights and non-discrimination:

• social security is an investment in the people of Scotland;
• social security is itself a human right and essential to the realisation of other human rights;

• respect for the dignity of individuals is to be at the heart of the Scottish social security system;
• the Scottish social security system is to contribute to reducing poverty in Scotland; and
• opportunities are to be sought to continuously improve the Scottish social security system in ways which — (i) put the needs of those who require assistance first, and (ii) advance equality and non-discrimination.

This approach, centred on rights and wellbeing, supports the full realisation of the benefits of the FFP. There are measures in place to ensure this happens, with Scottish Government and SCoSS obliged to report to the Scottish Parliament on the commitments within Our Charter, and how they are being delivered.

Benefit Take-Up

To ensure the FFP have the level of positive impact on children's rights and wellbeing that is required to meet the ambitious targets in the TCPDP^[17], high levels of take-up are essential, particularly amongst those who would not normally access their entitlement.

We have already introduced a single application form to apply for the FFP to make it easier to apply and increase uptake. The introduction of auto-award for the Early Learning and School Age Payment for eligible families in receipt of SCP will build on this work and ensure more families receive their entitlement.

Starting in August 2020, Social Security Scotland has also written to families inviting them to apply for the Early Learning and School Age Payments of BSG and for BSF. This exercise also took place in early 2021 ahead of the opening of SCP. Information obtained from DWP and HMRC allow Social Security Scotland to identify people who may be eligible because they receive certain benefits or tax credits and have children of the right age. This proactive approach to maximising benefit uptake was a first for Social Security Scotland.

Where possible, we intend to continue to invite to apply. We are engaged with HMRC to obtain information on their clients in receipt of Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits

We have published our second Benefit Take-up Strategy^[18], setting out the ongoing work of the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland to address barriers to benefit uptake. As eligibility for the FFP is based on being in receipt of a qualifying benefit (e.g. Universal Credit) we confirmed with the UK Government that we can promote the fact that eligibility for them is based upon take-up of reserved benefits, it was confirmed this will not pose a fiscal detriment to the Scottish Government. This was particularly important in light of COVID-19 with high numbers of people becoming eligible for Universal Credit.

The Scottish Government has also committed in the Benefit Take up Strategy to provide £10 million of funding over this parliamentary term to increase access to advice services to maximise incomes, tackle the poverty penalty and improve wellbeing. This will be in accessible settings, for example schools, with a focus on families.

As part of this, The Scottish Government has committed £3.17 million over two years to placing money advisors in up to 150 GP practices in some of Scotland's most deprived areas. Evidence has shown that money and welfare advisors in health centres often reach people who do not engage with traditional advice services.

We have also encouraged take-up via an extensive communications campaign with Social Security Scotland actively promoting the payments to eligible families. This involved working closely with a range of stakeholders who parents will come across at various points. This included campaign literature in maternity packs, arming health visitors with information, working with Scottish Book Trust to get information to all parents who receive the free Bookbug bags and parent emails. A targeted social media campaign was developed for a range of age groups, including young parents, including posts from our social media channels, as well as paid-for targeted posts adjusting the look and messaging depending on who it is aimed at.

We will conduct a further targeted campaign ahead of the rollout of SCP to children aged between 6 and 15 and will work with relevant stakeholders to promote awareness of all of the changes that we are introducing and ensure that the implications of them are well understood.