Left holding the baby
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon holds little Clinton Taiwo on a visit to One Parent Family Scotland in Glasgow where she announced that the first payments of the Best Start Grants were being made.
SCOTLAND’S fledgling social security system has taken another important step with the first payments of devolved maternity grants.
Nicola Sturgeon met some of the early recipients of the new Best Start pregnancy and baby payment which are targeted at low income families.
Launched last week, the new benefits give families or carers £600 on the birth of a first child and £300 for each child thereafter.
More than 4,000 applications were made on the first day, around the same number received for its less generous UK predecessor, the Sure Start maternity grant, in all of last year. Sure Start paid £500 for the first child only.
The First Minister said the Scottish pregnancy and baby payment would help give children “the best possible start in life”, and would be especially useful ahead of Christmas.
She said: “At this time of year we know many families on low incomes feel particularly stretched so I’m pleased we are starting to get this extra money into people’s pockets. By expanding the eligibility and making it easier to apply we are delivering substantive improvements on the Department of Work and Pensions system. Importantly, we place no cap on the number of children it will support.
“The response we have had with claims is absolutely exceptional and reflects the difference we can make with our new social security powers. It was lovely to meet parents and children who are benefitting from the grant and find out the difference it can make to families.”
Connie Rumsby, 25, a mother of three from Glasgow whose baby is six months old, said: “The Best Start Grant will make life a lot easier. My other children are four and five so there are lots of things I will need to buy again. I got the baby box which is great, but having £300 extra to buy my son something when he’s a wee bit bigger is a real help.”
Caitlin Donachie, 24, another mother of a three year from Glasgow, who has a week-old baby, added: “Being entitled to this payment, which I wouldn’t have got under the previous system will make a real difference, especially when I have other children to provide for.”
Satwat Rehman, CEO of One Parent Families Scotland, said: “The fact that payments are in place before Christmas will be a lifeline to some of our most hard-pressed families.”