Almost £13m paid out to families

Almost £13 million has been paid out to poorer families in seven months under the Scottish Government’s Best Start grant scheme.

Between December 2018, when the initiative started, and June this year, Social Security Scotland has made more than 42,000 payments to families in Scotland, totalling £12.9m.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville hailed the “exceptional” response to the scheme, which pays grants to families in receipt of some benefits, to help with the expenses of pregnancy and having a baby.

Further payments are also made when children start nursery and when they go to school for the first time.

Between December and June families received £6.1m assistance from the Pregnancy and Baby Payment, which replaced the UK Government’s Sure Start Maternity Grant.

That compares to £2m paid out under the UK Government scheme in the whole of 2017-18.

Ms Somerville met parents who had benefited from the payments at Kelty Community Centre in Fife.

Lisa Cameron, a mother from Kelty, said the payments were “making a massive difference to me and my family”.

She said: “I have a two-yearold daughter with learning difficulties and was able to use the Early Learning Payment to buy sensory equipment for her to use in the garden.

“And with another wee one on the way I will shortly be able to apply for a £300 Pregnancy and Baby Payment that I wouldn’t have been entitled to under the old system.”

Ms Somerville said: “The response we have had to the new Best Start Grant is absolutely exceptional and I am delighted we have made almost £13m in payments.”