Parents in Pilton who receive benefits for their children said they welcome the Scottish Child Payment which has made a “big difference” for them and other families.
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, visited the Pilton Youth and Children’s Project (PYCP) in The Greenhouse on West Pilton Brae on Thursday. The modern building has a sports hall and dance studio as well as a kitchen and areas for both parents and children to get together. Ms Somerville joined a group of mothers who meet weekly for a discussion session. This is one of the ways the PYCP helps families to cope with a wide variety of issues, although the bulk of their work is running open access programmes for young people.
The Scottish Government announced on Tuesday that the social justice portfolio now amounts to £8 billion. Among the plans in the draft budget, there is a proposal to introduce a new premium element of the Scottish Child Payment in 2027-28. For the first year of a child’s life the payment will be £40 per child. The government believes this will help around 12,000 children in Scotland.
After her cup of tea and a chat with the mothers, Ms Somerville explained that the premium would indeed be payable only for the first year, after which the payment for that child would revert back to the usual rate. At present the Scottish Child Payment is £27.15 per week, but the government is to increase the amount to £28.20 in the new financial year.
Ms Somerville said: “We recognise that many families are struggling right across Scotland, and speaking to the mums here in Pilton, I do know that the Scottish Child Payment has made a real difference to them, and that’s really, really important.
“There were a couple of babies here today, and the mums are telling me just how expensive it is, as we all know, to raise a child. That’s why the budget has delivered a new Scottish Child Payment premium of £40 pound per child per week. Now we’ll need to build the systems for that first but we’re really, really keen to make sure that we can deliver that additional support on top of what we’re already doing to help mums and carers with the smallest people.”
Pressed about the payment and how it will work, the Cabinet Secretary said it would only be for the first year, after which the intention is that the payment for a child will revert to a lower rate – but it will be paid until the child is 16.
In addition there is a new £50 million package to improve the way the government offers whole family support with funding for transport and skills training. There will be £20 million committed to the third sector to deliver support where it is needed in communities.
The government also plans to increase the Tackling Child Poverty Fund from £12.5 million to £61.5 million in the next financial year and it will invest £7.2 billion in social security, supporting the disabled, or unpaid carers, those on low incomes and will help with energy bills.
PYCP
One project that PYCP has developed over the past five years is Teen Boutique a pop up shop. It is an opportunity for young people to do their bit for the enviornment by learning about the circular economy, but also to buy upcycled clothing at affordable prices.
The project has existed for more than quarter of a century building relationships with generations of families. The service is offered to children from aged five to 18 with activities including friendship groups with a safe place to play and help finding a job. There are opportunities for young people to have individual support, and anyone can refer themselves or be referred by school. The service integrates with social work, housing, justice and health services to guard against gaps in support. As well as help for children the project can work with parents and carers which then filters into help for children in their care.
Theresa is a single mother and she has an 8-year-old daughter who struggles with emotional regulation. She visits PYCP each week, and says that all those parents who attend help each other by talking over a cup of tea about the problems which they are facing. She said: “I think with regard to the fact that the Scottish Government has started the Scottish Child Payment has been beneficial to parents in the area, but I do feel that maybe the amount needs to increase.”
Zoe says she gets support, friendly chat and a listening ear from the people she meets at PYCP. She attends the Breakfast blether every week, and has three children aged 23, 21 and 9, along with her partner. Owing to illness neither she nor her partner is now able to work, and they rely on benefits. Zoe’s middle son is autistic and attended PYCP while he was a teenager. Zoe explained: “He used to sit in his room and didn’t socialise, but by going to the centre he came out of his shell. I think the Scottish Child Payment was really beneficial and helps a lot of people, and there is room for improvement, but the government does help low income families quite a bit.”
Having attended the centre for about a year, Zoe assesses that it has also helped her a great deal. She said: “Sometimes I now volunteer here – that is something that I would not have been able to do even six months ago. My confidence and self-belief has gone through the roof in the last six months.”
Catherine has attended PYCP since she was a child. She has three children, the eldest of whom is 22, who all attend the centre. She loves the facilities and the people who attend. She said: “There’s a variety of people who come here and you get support with all sorts of things. If you need forms filled in, then the staff here can help. There’s also a food bank here, so there’s a lot of help.”
The Scottish Child Payment assists with the cost of supporting a family. It is a weekly payment of £27.15 for every child in the care of a parent or guardian who is under 16 years of age and will rise in the coming financial year.
