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28 July, 2020 Open access

Scottish Government to write to more than 20,000 families to promote take-up of Best Start Foods and Best Start Grant

Proactively encouraging individuals to claim their entitlements is 'a duty of government and a social responsibility', says Social Security Secretary

The Scottish Government is to write to more than 20,000 families to promote take-up of Best Start Foods and the Best Start Grant.

Using information obtained from the DWP and HMRC, the Scottish Government is identifying people who are on certain benefits or tax credits and have children of the right age to possibly qualify for either Best Start Foods or the Best Start Grant. The government then plans - as part of its benefit take-up strategy, and wider co-ordinated approach to helping families who are under even more financial pressure due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic - to write to an estimated 22,000 families before the end of August 2020 to encourage them to apply.

Commenting on the new approach, Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said - 

'Social security is a human right and an investment in the people of Scotland. Encouraging individuals to claim the financial assistance they are entitled to is a duty of government and a social responsibility. We are committed to making sure that people get all of the money that they are entitled to - to help maximise incomes and tackle poverty.

The economic impacts of the pandemic are pushing thousands of people further into hardship so it’s important families are informed about the support available to them.

This unique direct marketing of benefits complements the Scottish Government’s wider efforts to help parents during this challenging time. We must do all that we can to eradicate child poverty and make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up.'

For more information see Families to be alerted to additional financial support from gov.scot