Young families to benefit from extra payout

SPENDING on benefits for those with young families is forecast to more than double in the first year of the Scottish Government’s new Best Start Grant.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission has forecast 13,000 payments will be made in 2019-20, with £5.6 million expected to be handed out. The payments will come into place before the end of 2018, six months ahead of the schedule, the Scottish Government said.

And they will replace the UK Government’s Sure Start Maternity Grant – which pays out about £2.5 million in Scotland a year, with 5,000 families across the country benefiting.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, left said the more generous payments being brought in by SNP ministers would mean “lowerincome families who are feeling the effects of welfare cuts are given the extra help they need”.