INDEPENDENCE IS VITAL TO PROPERLY PROTECT FAMILIES
The crippling effects of Westminster control on families across Scotland have been laid bare in a damning new report that also praises 'the significant impact of Scottish government policies and lower childcare costs’ and makes yet another compelling case for independence, says the SNP.
This latest Child Poverty Action Group Scotland report states 'Scottish policies are immensely important in reducing the level of financial strain and hardship on families at a particularly difficult time, but they are fighting a rear-guard action' - citing that the Scottish Government's bold actions can only cushion the impact of UK wide deterioration.
Several SNP Scottish Government policies were praised within the report, including:
The Scottish government’s commitment to ‘provide local authorities with additional discretionary housing payment funding to mitigate the UK government benefit cap as fully as possible’
The extension of free school meals throughout primary education - predicted to make the cost of bringing up a child £1,800 cheaper in Scotland compared to England
The introduction of free bus travel to all children - saves a total of £3,000 in the lifetime cost of a child in Scotland compared to England.
The Scottish child payment - totally nearly £21,000 over 16 years.
The Best Start grant - taking an average of the first two children, and subtracting the value of the UK maternity grants, in total this gives an additional £768 per child to Scottish families for children in their early years.
The school clothing grant - the net cost of buying clothing is reduced by a total of £1,740 over the course of a child’s schooling.
However, CPAG outlines that 'against all these headwinds, Scottish families are going backwards despite additional help from the Scottish government' and goes on to blame 'a fall in real wages, the effects of real-terms benefit cuts - including the loss of the £1,000 increase to UC in 2021 - the bite of the two-child limit and benefit cap, and the limited help families are getting to help with rocketing fuel bills because cost of living payments are flat rate rather than proportional to the size of families.'
Natalie Don MSP
Commenting SNP MSP Natalie Don said:
"This report makes it explicitly clear how vital independence is to properly protect families across Scotland because we see that the SNP's bold actions to support families are being painfully undermined by cruel Westminster policies.
"Families in Scotland should not be facing choices like heating or eating just now - especially in a society as wealthy as the UK - but years of Tory governments that Scotland has not voted for are ignoring the need to support households under increasing pressures.
"The SNP is doing as much as possible with its limited powers, by introducing 'gaming changing' policies like the Scottish Child payment - which is lessening the burden on families but independence is the only way to escape the impact of callous Westminster policies for good."
Cost of a Child in Scotland report