6,300 CHILDREN IN WEST LOTHIAN BENEFIT FROM SCOTGOV CHILD POVERTY MISSION

6,300 CHILDREN IN WEST LOTHIAN BENEFIT FROM SCOTGOV CHILD POVERTY MISSION

FAMILIES IN WEST LOTHIAN TO RECEIVE £630,000 SUPPORT FROM SCOTGOV

 

Low income families across West Lothian will benefit from a £320 uplift before Christmas as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling child poverty.

 

Almond Valley MSP Angela Constance welcomed the payments which Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison highlighted during a debate on the commitments in the SNP Scottish Government’s Programme for Government which aim to create a fairer society.

 

Families eligible will receive payments of £160 per child in October and again in December. Two Bridging Payments of £100 have already been made which takes the total to £520 this year.

 

The cash is equivalent to the Scottish Child Payment - a £10-a-week benefit to assist with the costs of caring for a child aged under six years old. The Scottish Government will extend the Scottish Child payment to all eligible under-16s by the end of 2022 and are committed to double the payment to £20 per week as quickly as possible.

 

The Social Justice Secretary highlighted the payments in the Scottish Parliament just a day after the six Tory MPs failed to vote to stop the UK government’s plans to cut the incomes of six million people across the UK by £1040 a year - the biggest cut to welfare since the 1930’s.

 

Commenting Ms Constance said:

 

“I know that many families in West Lothian are finding it hard just now. The impact that the pandemic has had on household finances is real, and has only been made worse by the cost of Tory’s obsession with Brexit and their unrelenting cruel austerity agenda.

 

“I am pleased that in Scotland, we have a Scottish Government doing right thing by its citizens with these payments meaning £630,000 in the pockets of 6,300 low income families across the region.

 

“The Scottish Child Payment is already the most ambitious anti-poverty measure currently being undertaken anywhere in the UK and we have committed to doubling it to £20-a-week per child as soon as possible in this parliamentary term.

 

“It’s clear that building a better future for children in West Lothian and across Scotland, is of at the top of the agenda in the Programme for Government.

 

 

 

### ENDS ###

 

NOTES:

 

https://www.gov.scot/news/boost-for-family-budgets-before-christmas/

Boost for family budgets before Christmas - gov.scot Local Authority. SUMMER - Reported number of payments. SUMMER Reported spend. Aberdeen City. 4,180. £418,000. Aberdeenshire. 4,040. £404,000. Angus. 2,629. £262,900 www.gov.scot

 

The bridging payments are made to all eligible children in receipt of free school meals due to low income. The first two bridging payments were made in April and July to align with Easter and summer holidays. Overall around 148,000 children across Scotland are eligible and the total investment will be over £77 million a year.

 

 

Summer 2021 Bridging Payments By Local Authority



Local Authority	SUMMER - Reported number of payments	SUMMER Reported spend
Aberdeen City	4,180	£418,000
Aberdeenshire	4,040	£404,000
Angus	2,629	£262,900
Argyll & Bute	1,499	£149,900
Clackmannanshire	996	£99,600
Dumfries & Galloway	3,927	£392,700
Dundee City	5,351	£535,100
East Ayrshire	3,929	£392,900
East Dunbartonshire	2,614	£261,400
East Lothian	2,012	£201,200
East Renfrewshire	1,758	£175,800
City of Edinburgh	8,146	£814,600
Na h-Eileanan Siar	335	£33,500
Falkirk	4,703	£470,300
Fife	11,601	£1,160,100
Glasgow City	28,811	£2,881,100
Highland	4,831	£483,100
Inverclyde	2,540	£254,000
Midlothian	2,112	£211,200
Moray	1,583	£158,300
North Ayrshire	4981	£498,100
North Lanarkshire	11,355	£1,135,500
Orkney Islands	268	£26,800
Perth & Kinross	2,256	£225,600
Renfrewshire	5,023	£502,300
Scottish Borders	2,354	£235,400
Shetland Islands	285	£28,500
South Ayrshire	3,023	£302,300
South Lanarkshire	9,847	£984,700
Stirling	1,651	£165,100
West Dunbartonshire	3,356	£335,600
West Lothian	6,300	£630,000
Total	148,296	£

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