The Scottish Government has introduced the ‘Job Start Payment’ benefit for individuals aged 16-24 to help pay for items for work like clothes, tools and payments for travel. In this article, you will find information highlighted and written by the Scottish Government on how the ‘Job Start Payment’ works and who can apply.
How It Works
The ‘Job Start Payment’ is a brand new benefit that will help individuals, aged 16-24, with the costs of starting a new job.
“You can apply for Job Start Payment if you’re a young person who’s been out of work and are on certain benefits. You must have been offered a job on or after 17 August 2020 to be eligible. You also need to meet the other requirements explained in the ‘who can apply’ section.”
Individuals can apply and receive a one-off payment of £250. If you’re the main carer of any children, you can apply for the higher rate of £400.
Who Can Apply
If you are wither a young person or a care leaver, you can apply for the ‘Job Start Payment’. Please find a list of criteria for each category provided by the Scottish Government:
To get ‘Job Start Payment’ as a young person, you must:
Have been the age between 16-24 when receiving the job. You are able to apply if you were offered the job no later than the day you turn 25.
Have had no paid work for 6 months or more when you were offered the job.
“You need to have been out of paid work for at least 6 months running up to the day you were offered your job.”
Have been getting at least one of the following benefits for 6 months or more on when you got offered the job: Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit (UC).
“You need to have been getting either Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) on the date of your job offer. If you were getting Contributions JSA or Contributions ESA before this you can still apply, as long as you were on these benefits for at least 6 months. If you’re not sure which one you get, Social Security Scotland will check this for you.”
Have been offered a job in the last 3 months.
“The Job Start Payment is a new benefit. You must have been offered a job on or after 17 August 2020 to be eligible. Social Security Scotland will not be able to pay you Job Start Payment if you were offered your job before this.”
“You need to have been offered a job and expect to work at least 12 hours a week, averaged over a 4-week period. You can apply for Job Start Payment up to 3 months after the date you were offered your job.”
“You’ll also need to send Social Security Scotland confirmation of your job offer. This can be a letter, an email or a text message from your new employer. If you’re self-employed, you can send evidence of an offer of work or a contract. They accept photocopies or screenshots of these and they can be uploaded online or posted.”
Have been a resident in Scotland on the day you were offered the job.
“It’s okay if you moved out of Scotland after this to take the job.”
Not have been paid the ‘Job Start Payment’ in the past 2 years.
“You can only be paid Job Start Payment once every 2 years. If you’ve been paid Job Start Payment before and more than 2 years have passed since the date you got the payment, then you can apply again.”
To get ‘Job Start Payment’ as a care leaver, you must:
Have between the age of 16 to 25 years on the date you were offered the job. You are able to apply if you were offered the job no later than the day before you turn 26.
Have not been in any paid work on the date you were offered the job.
Have been receiving one of the following benefits on the date you were offered the job: Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit (UC).
Have been offered a job in the last 3 months
“Job Start Payment is a new benefit. You must have been offered a job on or after 17 August 2020 to be eligible. Social Security Scotland will not be able to pay you Job Start Payment if you were offered your job before this.”
“You need to have been offered a job and expect to work at least 12 hours a week, averaged over a 4-week period. You can apply for Job Start Payment up to 3 months after the day you were offered your job.”
“You’ll also need to send Social Security Scotland confirmation of your job offer. This can be a letter, an email or a text message from your new employer. If you’re self-employed, you can send evidence of an offer of work or a contract. They accept photocopies/scans or screenshots of these and they can be uploaded online or posted.”
Have been a resident in Scotland on the day you were offered the job.
“It’s okay if you moved out of Scotland after this to take the job.”
Not have been paid the ‘Job Start Payment’ in the past 2 years.
“You can only be paid Job Start Payment once every 2 years. If you’ve been paid Job Start Payment before and more than 2 years have passed since the date you got the payment, then you can apply again.”
Your Payment
You will receive £250 if your application is successful (£400 if you’re the main carer of any child). You will receive this in one single payment and you do not need to pay this back.
What can you spend it on?
The ‘Job Start Payment’ is intended to assist with payments on starting a new job. You could use this payment for items like travel costs, like paying for bus or train tickets, lunches, childcare and new clothes or uniform.
How will you be paid?
“You can receive your payment by sending it directly to your bank or someone else’s. If you wish to be paid into someone else’s account, please ensure that you gain their full permission as adding their bank account details will be required to obtain the payment.”
“If you do not have a bank account, you can get the Job Start Payment paid in the same format as you would with other benefits if you receive any. To be paid this way, you should apply via telephone call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222 or by using their paper form.”
How to Apply
To apply for the ‘Job Start Payment’, you will need to fill in an application form. The form should include:
- Your name, date of birth and address.
- Your National Insurance number (if you know it).
- Your bank, credit union or building society account details.
- Details of your job offer, along with contact details for your employer or proof of the job offer.
- To apply for the ‘Job Start Payment’ click here.
After you apply:
Sending confirmation of your job offer
You will need to send a copy of your job offer after you’ve submitted your application. You can either do this by uploading this online or send it in the post.
Your job offer confirmation should include the following information:
This information should be written by your employer that has offered you the hob and it should include these three pieces of information. These should also match what you have included in your application form:
- Your name and at least one other piece of information that shows your details such as an email address or phone number.
- The name of the individual that offered you the job and one other piece of information that shows their details such as the company name, address or phone number.
- The date of when you received the job offer.
You can call Social Security Scotland for free on 0800 182 2222 to confirm if they have received your evidence.
What you can send
Social Security Scotland will accept any of following below for your job offer confirmation, as long as they include the three areas above.
Ask your employer if they can give you written confirmation that you’ve been offered the job if the offer was made over the phone.
- A letter, this might be on headed paper.
- Your contract.
- An email.
- A screenshot of a digital message or text.
- A screenshot of your job offer from a job search website.
- A signed, hand-written note.
“If you’re self-employed, you are able to send in evidence of an offer of work or a contract. This might be a contract for work through businesses like a recruitment agency, an agreement for recurring work or something is written confirming that you won a contract or invitation to tender.”
“If you’re unsure if Social Security Scotland will accept your form of evidence, call them for free to check on 0800 182 2222.”
Sending confirmation of your time in care
You might need to send evidence of your time in care if you are identified as a care leaver during your application. You can upload this online or send it by post.
“To provide evidence of your time in care you should fill in the care leaver evidence form. Social Security Scotland will send you a copy of this form in the post in 3-5 days. Or, you can download the care leaver evidence form.” Keep in mind, “you’ll need to get this form signed by a professional before you send it to Social Security Scotland.”
A professional person could be:
- A social worker or representative from the local authority you were in the care of.
- Family mediation, advocacy work or a Councillor.
- An advisor or teacher from either school, college or university.
- A nurse or doctor.
- A Solicitor or lawyer.
How to send evidence
You can either upload online or send by post with the following address: Job Start Payment, PO Box 10315, Dundee DD1 9GP.
Sending evidence of a legal order
If you have a child and you are the main carer, Social Security Scotland will ask you to confirm if you are receiving Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit (child element) as evidence to confirm that you look after these children.
You may have to send in a legal order if you are not receiving any of the above benefits. A legal order is a document that confirms you are the main carer of a child. One of the following documents can be sent in order to give evidence of a legal order:
- Kinship Care Order.
- Adoption Order.
- Any other legal order that confirms you’re the child’s main carer.
Posting evidence to Social Security Scotland
You will need to include the following information when posting documents to Social Security Scotland:
- Your full name.
- Your date of birth (DoB).
- Your National Insurance Number.
- Include ‘Job Start Payment’, so they what you’re applying for and what it is regarding.
Failure to add any of the details may lead to your payment being delayed. Ensure that any original documents are not sent as this could take up to 14 days to return. If you would like Social Security Scotland to send you a pre-paid envelope to send your documents, call them on 0800 182 2222 and they will be able to send one to you.
If you would like to apply for the ‘Job Start Payment’ benefit introduced by the Scottish Government, apply here.