The Scottish Government has announced that a range of social security benefits will rise by six per cent next month in response to the cost of living crisis.
The Job Start Payment, Young Carer Grant, Funeral Support, Best Start Grant and Carer’s Allowance Supplement were due to be uprated by 3.1 per cent for 2022/23, however, the Scottish Government is now proposing the increases should be almost doubled to 6 per cent.
The Child Winter Heating Assistance, which was due to rise by 5 per cent, will also increase by 6 per cent.
But the new Adult Disability Payment, which is set to replace Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from next week in Scotland and Child Disability Payment, which replaced Disability Living Allowance for Children In November, will not increase by the proposed increment.
The Scottish Government said these new disability benefits will rise by 3.1 per cent in line with the equivalent benefits - PIP and DLA for Children which are still administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) under agency agreement.
It said: “This is to avoid creating a two-tier system where individuals paid by Social Security Scotland are paid more than clients whose cases have not yet transferred to the Scottish system.”
Commenting on the increase, Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson, said: “We are acting urgently in response to growing pressures on the costs of living, which were already rising and have now increased significantly again due to the illegal war in Ukraine.
“We will provide additional support as quickly as possible by further increasing several forms of devolved social security benefits and assistance - enhancing our planned 3.1% uprating to a 6% rise - and this will be implemented in just over two weeks’ time.”
He added: “The Scottish Government is determined to use the powers we have to move at pace to help those who need assistance most in these challenging times. The benefits we are uprating will support those on low incomes, particularly families and unpaid carers.”
To prepare for the opening of new applications for Adult Disability Payment in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles, Social Security Scotland has announced there will be reduced service delivery ahead of the launch.
It said: “We need to undertake some technical updates to our systems. This means that from Friday 18th March and over the weekend of 19th March we will be offering a reduced service for our clients.
“Pre-arranged visits from our local delivery team will continue to take place on Friday 18 March.”
Changes to Social Security Service this weekend
- From 6pm on Thursday, March 17 - online application service for clients will not be available
- Telephony and webchat services will remain available from 8am to 6pm for general enquires around eligibility to Scottish benefits and signposting to support services
- Clients will be able to make applications for our benefits over the phone during that time
- Clients will be able to make online applications for all the Low Income Benefits as normal from the afternoon of Friday, March 18
- Pre-arranged visits from its local delivery team will continue to take place on Friday, March 18
It also added that Child Disability Payment online applications will be unavailable until Monday, March 18 due to the complexity of applications.
Full service will be restored from 8am on Monday, March 21.
For more information, visit the Social Security Scotland website here.
Adult Disability Payment rollout dates
- March 21 - Dundee City, Perth and Kinross or the Western Isles
- June 20 - Angus, North Lanarkshire or South Lanarkshire
- July 25 - Fife, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire or South Ayrshire
- August 29 - if you live elsewhere in Scotland
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