Social Security (Scotland) Act (2018): Devolved Social Security Assistance, Uprating for Inflation - A report in fulfilment of section 86A: Duty to consider effects of inflation

4. Social Security Payments in 2022-23

4.1 The social security payments Social Security Scotland were responsible for during the financial year 2022-23 were:

4.2 Carer’s Allowance Supplement: Carer’s Allowance Supplement is a payment that provides extra support to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance in Scotland. It is paid every six months and was initially set at a level that would raise Carer’s Allowance to match the rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) for those aged 25 and over. Since 2018-19 the Scottish Government has uprated Carer’s Allowance Supplement annually, in accordance with section 81 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. This calculates the supplement as the difference between Carer’s Allowance and JSA, had it been uprated in line with inflation. As a result of this uprating and since the UK Government has not routinely uprated JSA in line with inflation, Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Allowance Supplement combined now exceed the equivalent weekly rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance. The rate of Carer’s Allowance Supplement in 2022-23 is £245.70 in each bi-annual payment.

4.3 Young Carer Grant (YCG): The Young Carer Grant provides eligible young carers aged 16, 17 and 18 with a payment of £326.65, which can be applied for annually. There is a statutory requirement to uprate the grant annually and the Scottish Government has been uprating the grant since 2020-21.

4.4 Funeral Support Payment (FSP): Funeral Support Payment is a one-off payment to help meet the costs of a funeral and replaced Funeral Expenses Payment, delivered by DWP, in September 2019. In April 2020 the flat rate payment toward funeral costs was increased from £700 to £1000. As a result of uprating in April 2022 the flat rate is currently £1,070.60. In 2022-23 Funeral Support Payment provided on average £1,800 towards the total costs of a funeral.^[15] There is a statutory requirement to uprate Funeral Support Payment annually and the Scottish Government has been uprating the payment since 2020-21.

4.5 Best Start Grant (BSG): The Scottish Government replaced the DWP’s Sure Start Maternity Grant with the Best Start Grant in Scotland. Best Start Grant provides support during three key transition points in a child’s early years. The Pregnancy and Baby Payment provides £642.35 for a first child and £321.20 for second and subsequent children. The Early Learning Payment provides £267.65 per child to support child development, and School Age Payment provides £267.65 per child to help with the costs of preparing for school. The UK Government makes no equivalent provision to either the Early Learning or School Age Payments. There is no statutory requirement to uprate Best Start Grant.

4.6 Best Start Foods (BSF): Best Start Foods is a payment available to low income pregnant women, their partners and children aged up to three years old. It is paid as a credit onto a payment card that can be used to buy healthy foods such as milk, fruit and vegetables. It replaced the UK-wide Healthy Start vouchers in Scotland and was increased in August 2021 from £4.25 to £4.50 per week for each eligible child in the family or £9 per week for a child under 1 year old. Best Start Foods is not delivered under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 and so there is no statutory requirement to uprate or to provide inflation-adjusted figures in this report, but they are included for completeness.

4.7 Job Start Payment (JSP): Job Start Payment provides a one-off payment to eligible young people to help them with costs they may incur when starting a new job. It is available to young people who reside in Scotland aged 16 to 24 and aged up to 25 for care leavers. The payment is £267.65. A higher award of £428.25 is made to those who have responsibility for a child. Job Start Payment is not delivered under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 and so there is no statutory requirement to uprate or to provide inflation-adjusted figures on Job Start Payment in the report but these have been included for completeness.

4.8 Child Winter Heating Assistance (CWHA): CWHA provides an annual payment to disabled children and young people in receipt of the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance, Child Disability Payment or the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment, to support households with the additional costs associated with winter fuel bills.. In 2021 the payment was £200. It was uprated to £202 in 2021-22, and again to £214.10 in 2022-23. There is no statutory requirement to uprate Child Winter Heating Assistance.

4.9 Scottish Child Payment (SCP): Until November, SCP paid the equivalent of £20 per eligible child per week, paid every four weeks in arrears to clients. It is paid as a top up of certain qualifying reserved benefits (notably Universal Credit) using powers available under the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. SCP is intended to help towards the costs of supporting a family and forms part of the wider Scottish Government strategy to combat child poverty. We increased the weekly amount of Scottish Child Payment to £25 on 14 November 2022, when eligibility was extended to 6-15 year olds.

4.10 Child Disability Payment (CDP): CDP provides support for the extra costs that a disabled child or young person might have. It was the first application-based disability benefit to be introduced by the Scottish Government. CDP replaces Disability Living Allowance for children (DLAC) in Scotland; we aim to have completed the transfer by Spring 2023. It is available to children and young people from the age of 3 months to 18 years old, who have care and/or mobility needs as a result of a disability. CDP consists of a care and a mobility component, and an eligible child may qualify for either of these or both, depending on the nature of their disability. The care component has three different payment rates: lowest (£24.45), middle (£61.85) and highest (£92.40). The mobility component comprises two rates: lower (£24.45 if the child is 5 or over) and higher (£64.50 for children aged 3 or over). Both care and mobility components are paid four-weekly in arrears, except for terminally ill children, whom Social Security Scotland will pay weekly. There is a statutory requirement to uprate CDP.

4.11 Adult Disability Payment (ADP): ADP provides financial assistance to help meet the additional costs of living with a disability or health condition. It is the most complex form of assistance delivered by Social Security Scotland. ADP replaces Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Scotland for individuals aged between 16 and state pension age (subject to some exceptions) who are making an application for disability assistance. ADP consists of two components. The daily living component provides two levels of assistance for individuals who face increased barriers to carrying out daily living activities as a result of physical or mental health condition(s) and/or disability: the standard rate (£61.85) and the enhanced rate (£92.40). The mobility component provides two levels of assistance for individuals who face increased barriers to carrying out mobility activities as a result of physical or mental health condition(s) and/or disability: the standard rate (£24.45) and the enhanced rate (£64.50). There is a statutory requirement to uprate ADP.

4.12 Short-term assistance: At this time, this assistance is available for only ADP and CDP. It is available where Social Security Scotland has made a decision to reduce or stop an ongoing award and that decision is subject to a request for a re-determination or an appeal. The intention is to ensure that an individual is not discouraged from challenging a decision or from accessing administrative justice by having to manage, for a period of time, with a reduced income. The value of the short-term assistance would always reflect any uprating during the period that it is in payment, ensuring that while a re-determination or appeal remains live, the client is not disadvantaged compared to an individual who remains entitled to the principal form of assistance.

4.13 Winter Heating Payment (WHP): WHP will be paid as an annual payment for households in receipt of certain low-income benefits who may have extra heating needs over winter, such as those living with a disability, or are responsible for a child under 5. WHP will be paid from February 2023, at a rate of £50.00. There is no statutory requirement to uprate Winter Heating Payment.