The Scottish government provided people who live in North Ayrshire with more than £17.7 million across 13 Scottish benefits in the financial year between April 1 2022 to March 31 2023.
The 13 payments, seven of which are unique to Scotland, provide essential support to families, carers and disabled people across the country. The Scottish Child Payment – which was extended to under 16s this year and increased to £25 per week – and Best Start Grants payments, are supporting children across Scotland at every stage of their lives.
The total amount of vital support paid to people across Scotland this financial year was £4.04 billion, according to Social Security Scotland’s annual report and accounts just published.
The results of an annual survey of clients by Social Security Scotland have also been published, showing 93 per cent of people who had been in contact with the organisation agreed they were treated with kindness. A further 90 per cent of respondents said their experience with staff had been “very good” or “good”.
Cabinet secretary for social justice Shirley-Anne Sommerville said: “We are supporting families across the country at a time where they are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and higher energy bills. We now deliver 13 benefits, seven of which are only available in Scotland, and are delivering these payments while treating people with dignity, fairness and respect.
“Our decision to expand the Scottish Child Payment to all eligible young people under the age of 16 and increase the payment to £25 per week means we are supporting more than 300,000 children and making a significant contribution to tackling child poverty.”