Recipients of Universal Credit (UC) in Scotland will have more choice over how they receive their payments, the Scottish Government has announced.

In the first use of newly devolved powers over the benefits system, the Scottish Government will give UC recipients the choice to have their payments go straight to their landlord to help pay for housing.

Scots will also be able to receive their payments fortnightly instead of monthly to help with the cost of living.

Around 26,600 households receive UC payments. It is estimated the number could increase to 700,000 households when it is fully rolled out in 2021.

Social security minister Jeane Freeman said: "As part of the social security consultation exercise last summer, we heard direct from people that paying the housing element of UC direct to landlords and receiving more frequent payments would be two important improvements to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) approach.

"These are issues that people have repeatedly raised with us, highlighting the problems the current system can cause for budgeting.

"I am delighted therefore that I am able to address these concerns and go further by extending the direct payment option to tenants with private landlords, and deliver these flexibilities for people in Scotland.

"People claiming UC want to have a choice about how the housing element part of the payment is paid - we have listened to that wish and are now taking action to make sure it happens as quickly as possible."

Under the Scotland Act 2016, the Scottish Government can determine how and when UC payments are made, but the benefit remains technically reserved to Westminster.

The DWP will work with the devolved administration to implement the changes.

To handle fully devolved benefits the Scottish Government is creating a social security agency. The agency is expected to handle around £2.8bn worth of benefits each year.

Scottish Labour welcomed the changes made by the Scottish Government.

The party's social security spokesman Mark Griffin said: "There is a massive opportunity here for us to shape a fairer Scotland and create a social security system based on dignity and respect.

"For a start, Labour wants to see a statutory duty that puts an obligation on the new social security agency to make sure everyone gets what they are entitled to.

"More than 100,000 Scots miss out on tax credits they are entitled to, making sure everyone gets what they deserve could make a huge difference to the families across Scotland."