MSP contacts H&I councils on Child Trust Fund payments

14 July 2010

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant is writing to all the councils in her constituency to ensure that children in their care receive the £100 top up to their Child Trust Fund.

She decided to contact the Highland, Moray, Shetland, Orkney, Western Isles and Argyll and Bute Councils when they did not appear on the list of local authorities who have passed on the payment allocated to them by the UK Government over two years ago.

Mrs Grant said: "I have asked the councils how many children in their areas are affected and what has happened to the money since it was paid out to local authorities.

"I have also asked them when they intend to pass it onto the children in their care and will the interest accrued on the money, since payment to the councils, also be passed on to these children? "

Labour’s Cathy Jamieson has established that at least 20 of Scotland's 32 local authorities have failed to give children in care the payment. Councils have been legally obliged to pass on the money to children for every year they are in care since April 2008.

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