Social Security Scotland service throughout Covid-19

We are working hard to protect our service so that we can continue making payments to people who need them.

Currently, we administer seven benefits. These are listed below and linked to mygov.scot where there is more information about them and where people can make applications.

• Carer’s Allowance Supplement – this will be paid automatically in June 2020 to anyone who was getting Carer’s Allowance from the Department of Work and Pensions on 13 April 2020
  
  
• Best Start Grant - Pregnancy and Baby Payment
  
• Best Start Grant - Early Learning Payment
  
• Best Start Grant - School Age Payment – this reopens on 1 June 2020
  
• Best Start Foods
  
• Funeral Support Payment
  
• Young Carer Grant

By following Scottish Government guidance, we are having to adapt some of our ways of working. These are unprecedented times and it is a fast changing situation.

If you have a general enquiry, please check mygov.scot before calling and, if you are able to, please submit your application online. This will help to ease any additional pressure on our phone lines at this time and protect the telephone service for those who cannot access our support online.

We are now also taking general enquiries via our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

We are currently unable to answer incoming calls to our Freephone helpline. However, you can leave a voicemail with us between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and we will aim to call you back within 48 hours. We will call you back between 8am and 6pm and we will try to reach you three times.

During this time we are continuing to process applications and make payments. However, this could take longer than usual. We will write to you once we have reached a decision on your application. We are grateful for your patience.

If you are looking for information on further support packages announced by the Scottish Government, please visit Scottish Government News.

If you are looking for information on existing UK Government support and any additional support measures, please visit Support for those affected by Covid-19.

Please keep yourself up to date on the latest official advice at NHS inform.