Recommendation 44

The DWP explained their reading of the situation in regards to the Scottish Government rolling out the Scottish Child Payment to children older than six years old. The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work noted that the data necessary for this roll out was proving difficult to supply because the DWP ‘don’t have it.’111 The DWP officials went on to explain that for the data necessary for the Scottish Child Payment for children under the age of six, the DWP transferred data that was used by the UK Government to administer maternity grants to the Scottish Government so they could deliver their Best Start Grant benefit. The Scottish Government then used the same data to set up the Scottish Child Payment for children aged under six years old.112