Greens encourage families to apply for new grant
Greens are encouraging all eligible families to apply for a new payment available to some families with nursery-age children, opening for applications today.
Families claiming low-income benefits can apply for the new Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment. This provides a one-off payment of £250 to help families with the cost of children aged two to three-and-half attending early years education.
It is the first entirely new social security payment made by the new devolved social security system.
Scottish Greens parliamentary co-leader Alison Johnstone MSP said:
“We know that many people don’t claim social security support because either they do not know they are entitled, or don’t know there is support available at all. Over £1bn goes unclaimed every year.
“As an entirely new form of assistance, it is all the more important that the Scottish Government does all it can to raise awareness of this new grant amongst eligible families.
“That is why Greens have been calling for more action on helping poorer families to maximise their incomes by assisting them to apply for the support that is on offer, and was why we campaigned for and secured the national roll-out of the Healthier, Wealthier Children scheme, which puts millions into the pockets of families when it would otherwise go unclaimed.
“I hope to see strong uptake of the Early Learning Payment as another step towards a social security system that doesn’t hide its support away, but actively reaches out to ensure everyone gets what they are entitled to.”