Question reference: S6W-11481
- Date lodged: 10 October 2022
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Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 October 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what further support it will provide to low income families this winter.
Answer
To enhance the support available for low income families with school age children, the Scottish Government will double the final Bridging Payment due to be paid in December 2022. This will increase the payment from £130 to £260 for every eligible child.
This increase is anticipated to reach in the region of 145,000 children, backed by additional investment of almost £19 million. As a result, Bridging Payments are expected to put around £169 million in the pockets of low income families across 2021 and 2022.
This is in addition to the expansion and further increase in the value of the Scottish Child Payment, which will become available for eligible children under the age of 16 as of 14 November and will be worth £25 per child, per week.
The Scottish Government will continue to assess all opportunities to redirect additional resources to those most in need through the Emergency Budget Review.