Benefit appeals support cash hailed

A NEW payment to protect people challenging disability benefit payments has been launched.

Short Term Assistance (STA) cash will allow people to continue to receive the full value of their original payments prior to the decision to lower or stop their benefit.

The STA does not have to be repayed if the re-determination or appeal upholds the decision to lower or stop their social security payment.

The new payment was welcomed by Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson.

He said: “We know people’s lives are complicated and there are many factors taken into consideration before making a decision.

“The Scottish Government is working hard to make sure decisions are made correctly the first-time but where this does not happen, this allows an applicant to go back and ask Social Security Scotland to look again.”

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