creating a fairer scotland sure start maternity grant
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CREATING A FAIRER SCOTLAND
SURE START MATERNITY GRANT
Benefit expenditure in Scotland – 2013/14These figures exclude nearly £400million of expenditure on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and Scottish Welfare Fund which are already devolved to the Scottish Parliament. If they are included, total benefit expenditure in Scotland in 2013/14 was around £17.9 billion.
Benefits for people out of work Benefits for elderly people Benefits for people who are ill or disabled
Income Support Financial Assistance Scheme Attendance AllowanceIn Work Credit & Return to Work Pension Credit Carer’s AllowanceCredit State Pension Disability Living AllowanceJob Grant State Pension Transfers Employment & Support AllowanceJobseeker’s Allowance TV Licences Incapacity Benefit
Winter Fuel Payments Industrial InjuriesPersonal Independence PaymentSevere Disablement AllowanceSpecialised Vehicles fundStatutory Sick PayVaccine Damage Payments
Benefits for families with children Benefits for people on low incomes Other
Child Benefit Council Tax Reduction Bereavement benefitsChild Tax Credit Discretionary Housing Payments Christmas bonusGuardians Allowance Scottish Welfare Fund Universal CreditMaternity Allowance Social Fund (regulated)Statutory Maternity Pay Working Tax Credit
Housing Benefit
Benefits to be Devolved
•Scotland Bill•UC Flexibilities agreed
•Scottish Government policy proposals
2015
•New Scotland Act
•Work continues on transition
•Scottish Parliamentary legislation begins
2016
•UC roll out concludes per UKG timetable
•Work continues on transition
•Scottish welfare system emerges
2017 onwar
ds
UK General ElectionScottish Parliament
Elections
Scottish Local
Government Elections
Timetable
The Regulated Social Fund
If the parent is under the age of 20 the exclusion is restricted to children of that parent. It does not include the parents siblings or any other children in the household.
If the other children under the age of 16 in the household are not the claimants responsibility and belong to a parent under the age of 20 then they too do not count.
If a mother has one child under 16 and has twins during a second pregnancy she will receive one £500 grant. If she has triplets she will receive 2 x £500 grants.
If a mother has twins from a previous pregnancy and give birth to
twins again she will not receive a grant. If her second birth is with triplets she will receive a single £500 grant.
Exclusions to the SSMG
SSMG Applications & Grants with Approximate Scottish
Figures
2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/150
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
400000
UK ApplicationsUK Grants
All figures are taken from DWP Annual Reports on the Regulated Social Fund
In 2014/15 there were: 133,000 Applications 66,000 Grants given out UK wide
totalling £33.5 million We estimate that just below 10% or
approximately 6,000 Grants were received by applicants in Scotland making spend in Scotland approx. £3.4m
Applications
What we know about Applicants
Qualifying Benefits UK Awards (000’s)
% of Total UK Awards
Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related), Job Seekers Allowance (Income Related), Universal Credit and Pension Credit
43,100 65%
Child Tax Credit (above the Family Element) and Working Tax Credit (including Disability or Severe Disability Element)
23,200 35%
Data from Annual Report on the Regulated Social Fund 2014/15
Trends in Scotland
• Rising Birth Rate
• Higher fertility rate than rest of UK
• Downwards pressures on incomes
Continued or increasing need for a maternity grant
Continue gathering evidence to inform policy
Scoping out practicalities of delivery
Liaising with projects in the Social Security Programme
What we are doing
Wide options appraisal under way Range of delivery needs for the benefits being
devolved Data sharing critical for all benefits Opportunity to learn from DWP Commitment to respect and maintain the
dignity of the applicant Commitment to working with users on design
and improvement e.g. user panels
Delivery Arrangements
Tackling child poverty, income maximisation, reducing material deprivation
The importance of early years Improving infant and maternal health Policy approach – early intervention,
build on the assets base, take a holistic view, test and learn
Scottish Policy Context
The purpose of the Scottish grant - to improve the resilience of families on low incomes when faced with the costs of a new child (for the first time), as part of an integrated package of social security, health and social care.
The target group : families on low income who may not have the resources to meet the additional costs of a child
The funding available for the grant will be the same as the spend in Scotland at the moment – around £3m a year.
Working Assumptions
In the main stakeholders value the grant and see the SSMG as a straight forward benefit which is generally meeting the need. The main concerns were:
The narrowing of the entitlement Unfairness in relation to qualifying benefits A short application window The level of the grant Pointing out the advantages of a universal
grant
Stakeholder Views
Emerging Logic Model
Use the grant to link users to other services e.g. income maximisation, supported spend, credit unions, advice on baby items/getting most for money
Improve flexibility e.g. option to receive goods rather than cash, extend the window for application.
Improve experience – streamline the process, possible linkage with Healthy Start, online form for people who want it
Use the grant to re-enforce other SG policies eg. To incentivise early booking or to support children who are being adopted and/or in kinship care
For future consideration if money is available – reinstate payments for second and subsequent children, broaden eligibility, a universal grant.
Ideas so far for the devolved grant
Gender, pregnancy and maternity - the role of women in family finances, impacts on work and earnings. For example working parent losing an income stream whilst on maternity/paternity leave or caring for the child. Multiple births
Sexual orientation – different sorts of families Religion and belief – the impact of religious observance
on birth control and family size Race – correlation with poverty, family size and cultural
attitudes to birth, asylum seekers Disability –need for adapted items.
Equalities Dimensions
Help fill gaps in our thinking – other options we have not thought of, connections we can make
Help us identify the advantages and disadvantages of the options
Help us understand the possible equalities impacts
What we need from you
Dorothy Ogle – [email protected]
Michael Sim – [email protected]
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Contacts