The Welfare Foods (Best Start Foods) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023: childrens rights and wellbeing impact assessment – screening

Declaration

4. Is a Stage 2 Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment required?

CRWIA required x - No explanation required, please complete questions 5 and 6

CRWIA not required - Please explain why below and contact the children’s rights unit to discuss this decision crwia@gov.scot

Explanation why CRWIA is not required: n/a

5. Sign & Date

Policy Lead Signature & Date of Sign Off: Nicola Birrell, 10^th November 2023

CRWIA author, if different from policy lead, Signature & Date of Sign Off: Michelle Rumgay, 10^th November 2023

Deputy Director Signature & Date of Sign Off: Ian Davidson, Deputy Director, Social Security Policy Division, 10^th November 2023

Date SGLD contacted: April 2023

6. Preparation Phase if undertaking a CRWIA

Evidence: Please list any research you are currently aware of that is relevant to this relevant proposal ?

We have drawn on existing research to fully understand the impact of these changes on children and young people.

Young parents:

• The latest analysis of client diversity and equalities data^[6] shows that for approved BSF and BSG applications between June 2021 and March 2023, 15% (6735) were from those aged 16-24.
• Some of the reasons young people might experience poverty include: the age at which mothers have their first child is substantially lower in more deprived areas, meaning that early motherhood is more likely amongst those already facing socio-economic disadvantage; mothers under 25 are also more likely than older mothers to have fewer qualifications, lower average incomes and to be unemployed.^[7]
• The Scottish Government’s Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy^[8] highlights that young mothers are more reliant on social security payments and tax credits than older mothers – a position that remains the case as the child ages.
• 55% of children with a mother aged 25 or under are in relative poverty compared with 23% of children whose mother is 25 or over.^[9]
• It is clear from our user testing that many young parents find accessing the income to which they are entitled confusing and difficult. We conducted user research workshops with young parents (under 18) through a charity. The input we got from this group highlighted their preference towards a digital service, finding contact via phone daunting, and helped to shape the wording and design of the application form e.g. we took forward their suggestion that pre-application content should be displayed over several pages. Through our policy engagement, some of the young mothers we spoke to highlighted the importance of being able to speak to someone about their entitlement. A multi-channel application process and promotion both digitally and through local services helps ensure young parents access the social security payments that they are entitled to.
• Responses from the A New Future for Social Security Consultation^[10] highlighted under 18s as a group which would benefit from simpler provision.

Children:

• The early years are key to improving long term health outcomes, with children from less affluent households being more at risk of negative outcomes in later decades.^[11]
• Children in low income households tend to experience a range of disadvantages which can accumulate throughout their lives. For example, poverty negatively affects children's health, social, emotional and cognitive development, and also their behavioural and educational outcomes.^[12] Evidence suggests that factors associated with child poverty, such as lower educational attainment, have implications for economic growth and a country’s capacity to compete in the global economy.^[13] The growing evidence in developed economies suggests that gaining additional income has positive causal effects on health, behavioural development and educational attainment for children in households at the lower end of income distribution.^[14]
• It is estimated that 24% of children (250,000 children each year) were living in relative poverty after housing costs in 2019-22. Before housing costs, it is estimated that 22% of children (230,000 children each year) were in relative poverty.^[15]
• It is estimated that in 2019-22, 69% of children in relative poverty after housing costs were living in working households (170,000 children each year).^[16]
• Absolute child poverty after housing costs affected 21% (210,000 children each year). Before housing costs, absolute child poverty was at 18% (180,000 children each year).^[17]
• It is estimated that 11% of children were living in combined low income and material deprivation after housing costs in 2019-22. Before housing costs, this was 10% of children.^[18] We cannot say exactly how many children are affected, because the sample size is low this year. But in the previous period, 120,000 children were in combined low income after housing costs and material deprivation each year.
• The majority of young people, who responded to a Scottish Youth Parliament survey to find out about young people’s experience in accessing food, agreed or strongly agreed that they and their family can afford food without having to sacrifice other basic needs such as heating or housing. However, between 7-9% disagreed or strongly disagreed with these statements.^[19]
• In 2019-22, 86% of children lived in households with high food security. This means that 14% of children lived in households with marginal, low or very low food security.^[20]
• Children in poverty were less likely to have high food security: just 65% of those in relative poverty and 65% of those in severe poverty lived in high food security households.^[21]
• Initial policy development of BSF was informed by a 2016 report by Nourish Scotland entitled Living is More Important than Just Surviving - Listening to what children think about food insecurity^[22] and the report produced by the Children’s Parliament in 2017 entitled What Kind of Scotland?^[23]
• In the Children’s Parliament report What Kind of Scotland?^[24] poverty is identified as the most important barrier to a good life. It affects children day to day, in terms of practical things like having enough food to eat and a house that is warm, but also because children may notice the stress money concerns cause the adults at home.
• BSF may be contributing to better health and wellbeing for children. Recipients report observing their children eating more and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables and feeling positive that they can provide their children with more nutritious foods.^[25]

Stakeholder engagement: Please describe your initial plans for stakeholder engagement, including which organisations you would like to engage directly with.

Relative qualitative and quantitative evidence will be gathered by engaging with stakeholders listed below. This will provide potential impacts, both positive and negative and potential barriers.

• Five Family Parents Reference Group - made up of a number of key stakeholders with an interest in the policy area, including Child Poverty Action Group, Citizens Advice Scotland, Engender and a number of other groups
• Scottish Women’s Convention
• Nourish Scotland
• Island stakeholders
• Scottish Commission on Social Security (SCoSS)
• First Steps Nutrition Trust
• Scottish Women’s Aid
• Inclusion Scotland

Involvement of children and young people: Please describe your initial plans for involving children and young people in the development of this relevant proposal, including any specific groups of children you would like to engage directly with.

We will engage with relevant young people through user research and also speak to those organisations listed above that work with young people. While it is more challenging to engage with children under three directly, we have some insight into the experiences of children under three who receive BSF from the recent evaluation of BSF.^[26]