The Scottish Government’s new range of devolved benefits will be able to be claimed over the counter at council offices. The roll-out of the 11 benefits, worth around £2.8bn a year, will begin this summer with the Carer’s Allowance Supplement.

Core agency staff will be located in Glasgow and Dundee, however the government wants people to be able to access the benefits “as close to home as possible”.

Meanwhile a deal has been agreed over teachers’ pay after months of negotiations at the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. Staff will get a 1% rise backdated to April 2017, followed by another 1% rise in January.