Best Start Foods eligibility: FOI release

Information requested

Request for information 1: How the income threshold for Best Start Foods is calculated for those applying under ‘No recourse to public funds’? Is there any other monies that are included in addition to a client’s earnings?

Request for information 2: The website states – your family income is £2,121.02 or less a month after tax for a couple or £1,792.71 or less a month after tax for a single adult –how this is calculated and what income is included in this calculation?

Response

Request for information 1 & 2:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested. This is because it would not be possible to have a definitive list of every possible income type.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

However you may find it useful to know that, generally only monies included from wages will be considered however it is important to note that examples like (but not limited to) maternity allowance/maternity pay does count as wages for no recourse to public funds. Where there are other incomes noted staff will seek the advice of policy colleagues to determine whether they should or should not be included.

As for how the income is calculated, we will always ask the client (and their partner if relevant) to provide a bank statement for a full month which covers their application. We would then total any wages for any clients to confirm whether this exceeds the threshold.

We can also use wage slips as supporting evidence for this but we always ask clients for bank statements in the first instance, we may also ask clients for additional statements from other bank accounts where necessary.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.