Job Start Payment

On Monday, 17 August 2020, Scottish Government introduced a new grant called the Job Start Payment to help young people with the costs of starting a new job or new self-employment.

You can apply for Job Start Payment if you’re a young person who has been out of work, are on certain benefits, and meet certain other criteria.

The grant is either a one-off payment of £250, or the higher rate of £400 if you’re the main carer of any children.  If you’re eligible, the money will be paid to you in one payment, and you do not have to pay it back.

To be eligible for a Job Start Payment, you must:

  • have been aged between 16 to 24 years when you were offered your new job (or up to 25 if you’re a care-leaver)
  • You can apply if you were offered the job no later than the day before you turn 25.
  • have been out of paid work for six months or more when you were offered the job (but if you are a care-leaver, the six-month minimum does not apply)
  • 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 in receipt of one of these benefits for six months or more when you were offered the job
    - Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
    - Income Support (IS)
    - Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
    - Universal Credit (UC)
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income Support (IS)
  • Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • 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 the job in the last three months, or have begun trading as a self-employed person in the last three months
  • 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.
  • Job Start Payment is a new benefit. Social Security Scotland will not be able to pay you Job Start Payment if the date you were offered your job was before the launch of this benefit.
  • have been living in Scotland on the day you were offered the job or began trading
  • It’s okay if you moved out of Scotland after this to take the job.

not have been paid a Job Start Payment in the past two years
 

Applying online

To complete the Job Start Application form online you’ll need:

  • your name, date of birth and address
  • your National Insurance number
  • your bank, credit union or building society account details
  • details of your job offer, along with contact details for your employer or proof of self-employed trading

Applying by post

You can apply by paper form. Return your completed application form to Job Start Payment at:

Job Start Payment
PO Box 10315
Dundee
DD1 9GP

For more guidance about this grant, please go to the Scottish Government Job Start Payment information page.