Payments for new Scottish parents set to increase

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 that some 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 announced.

And they will replace the UK government’s Sure Start Maternity Grant - which pays out about £2.5m in Scotland a year, benefiting 5,000 families.

Social security secretary Shirley-anne Somerville said the payments would mean “lower-income families who are feeling the effects of welfare cuts are given the extra help they need”.