Scottish benefits have helped ease cost-of-living crisis for families – survey

Benefits introduced by the Scottish Government have helped ease the worst effects of the cost-of-living crisis on families, a report has found.

The Scottish Centre for Social Research surveyed people in receipt of any of the five family payments – a group of benefits designed to tackle poverty and to improve household finances.

They include the best start grant – which covers the pregnancy and baby payment, early learning payment and the school age payment – as well as the Scottish child payment and best start foods fund.

The research found the payments had a positive impact on recipients’ overall finances and have helped to reduce material deprivation and food insecurity for low-income families.

The majority of Scottish child payment and best start foods recipients agreed the payments meant they did not need food banks.

Those who received the best start foods grant, a pre-paid card to purchase healthy food, reported that the card enabled their families to have healthy meals more frequently.

Other impacts include a reduction to household debt and borrowing and more children being able to undertake extra-curricular activities such as sport, music or drama.

Recipients also told the research the automatic payment system reduced their worry and stress.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville welcomed the findings as she met some affected families at Brunstane Primary School in Edinburgh.

She said: “We want every child to have the best start in life, but we recognise that the cost of living continues to have a negative impact on families across the country.

“It is a moral imperative to offer the best support we can, and I’m pleased that this work found an array of positive, meaningful impacts.

“But we are not letting up. We know there is more to do, which is why, as an example, we are launching the new two child limit payment in March, which will benefit the families of 43,000 children next year.

“And in the face of challenging economic headwinds and cuts to the UK welfare system, I want to reassure families that our support will continue. No child, nor family, will be left behind by the Scottish Government.”