Jackie Baillie has warned scores of families are falling through the cracks as it is revealed fewer than half of those eligible have received Covid death in service benefits.

The Scottish Government has established the NHS Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme and the Social Care Worker Death in Service Scheme to ensure that the families of those who die from Covid-19 can access support. The establishment of the scheme of social care workers followed a sustained campaign from Scottish Labour, for which Ms Baillie is the Health and Social Care Spokesperson.

Despite this, statistics obtained by the Party have shown that fewer than half of confirmed deaths from Covid-19 have been followed by a pay-out.

Out of 52 deaths of health care workers from Covid-19, there have been only 19 successful claims made.

Similarly, there has only been 29 successful claims made by the families of social workers who have died with Covid-19 despite a total of 84 Covid fatalities.

As such, fewer than half of families eligible for much-needed support have been able to receive the support they need.

In recognition of the heroic work done by those that lost their lives – and with the current cost-of-living crisis biting – the Dumbarton constituency MSP is challenging the SNP Government to pull out all the stops so that the families affected are supported.

Jackie Baillie said: “It is simply heart-breaking that scores of families entitled to this payment are falling through the cracks.

“The least that these families, who have been torn apart by Covid, deserve are the pay-outs to which they are rightfully entitled.

“It is simply unacceptable that Humza Yousaf has allowed these families to fall through the cracks at a time of a cost of living crisis.

“It’s time that the SNP government did the right thing and pulled out all the stops to help these people.”