Since my most recent update at the end of April, Social Security Scotland has continued to deliver much-needed benefits to the people of Scotland. Across the programme and agency, teams are progressing the priorities that I previously outlined.
We plan to deliver the Scottish child payment and child winter heating assistance by the end of 2020, subject to the ability of the Department for Work and Pensions to work with us and provide the necessary data on time. We will also roll out the job start payment, when that can be safely managed.
We are continuing to work at pace on delivering, as we replan. As well as preparing to launch those three benefits, we continue to progress the disability benefits for launch next year, and are enhancing our cross-cutting systems. That infrastructure work will move us from manual to more automated processes in many areas. That is important to ensure that our systems scale safely and effectively to the larger benefits without compromising on client experience.
We are, however, working in challenging circumstances. Our resource is reduced because some staff have been loaned to the central Covid-19 response, and many are balancing work with caring responsibilities, which means that they are unable to work all their hours. I am proud to be supporting and prioritising staff wellbeing, so that they can give their best during this difficult period.
There is no pause; all capacity is committed to delivering the three benefits this year, and to ensuring that the agency can still pay people and that we are prepared for an increase in demand following the surge in universal credit claims.
The agency continues to deliver low-income benefits, which, with more than 6,000 applications in March, more people than ever are accessing, and this month the agency opened for new applications for best start grant school age payments.
As members know, we have also increased support to carers who are in receipt of carers allowance. The coronavirus carers allowance supplement is not application based and has not needed new agency processes or new data from DWP, which has meant that we have been able to deliver it without affecting other work. The additional £230.10 will be paid this month alongside the normal supplement, so 83,000 eligible carers will receive £460.20 in June.
That is an example of action that we can take through Scotland’s social security system to assist the people who need our support. We are, however, responsible for only 15 per cent of social security spending; the majority of welfare remains reserved, particularly low-income benefits with a housing element.
Within the limits of our powers and finances, I am looking to the long term and considering how we can manage recovery and restart after lockdown, while facing the economic and social harms that have been caused by the pandemic. With the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, we have established a social renewal advisory board to embed the learning from these extraordinary times, to identify actions to reduce poverty and disadvantage and to advance equality.
In order to support people as quickly as possible, we are focusing all available resources on delivering the Scottish child payment by the end of the year. It targets low-income families and will help to reduce child poverty in Scotland. At a time when thousands more people need help from social security, that support is even more crucial, so our focus, time and finances are targeted on introducing that important new benefit.
The agency is operating and people are being paid the money that they need when they need it. So that that can continue, we must avoid putting additional pressure on Social Security Scotland or the Government programme. To ask them to do more would risk jeopardising Scottish child payment delivery times, which would cause risk to outcomes for families and child poverty.
I am committed to delivering new benefits as soon as we can do so reliably and safely. I will, of course, continue to keep the committee updated.