The scheme has previously only been available to low-income families with children under the age of six
Nicola Sturgeon said there was ‘massive demand’ for the benefit during a visit to Golfhill Primary School in Glasgow Demand for a newly expanded child benefit in Scotland was so high that the website crashed as it opened for applications, highlightingThe Scottish Child Payment has been extended to include all eligible families with children under the age of 16, as well as increasing the payment from £20 per week to £25.
Social Security Scotland said all available staff were used to take applications over the telephone until the online system was back up and running., said the “initial teething problems” with the application process showed how many people stood to benefit. “There’s massive demand, and I actually welcome the fact there has been such a strong demand for applications for this extended benefit today,” the First Minister said.
“Yes, that’s created some difficulties for the website, which will be sorted over the course of the day. [But] people will get access to this benefit which is not available anywhere else in the UK. “It is being made available because the Scottish Government is rightly, within really difficult financial circumstances, prioritising lifting children out of poverty.”
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