CONSTANCE WELCOMES DOUBLING OF SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT

CONSTANCE WELCOMES DOUBLING OF SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT

 4,280 CHILDREN IN WEST LOTHIAN TO BENEFIT FROM DOUBLING OF SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT

 CONSTANCE WELCOMES DOUBLING OF SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT

Angela Constance MSP for Almond Valley has welcomed the First Minister’s announcement that the Scottish Child Payment will be doubled from April 2022.

The announcement will see at least 4,280 eligible children across West Lothian receiving £20 per week per child from spring next year, with more than 106,000 children across Scotland immediately benefitting from the increased payment.

Since the launch of the Scottish Government payment on 15 February 2021, £1,143,880 has been issued in payments to families in West Lothian

It is now expected that over 400,000 children could be eligible for the doubled payment by the end 2022, which is when the benefit, which is unique in the UK, will be extended to children under the age of 16.

Commenting Ms Constance said:

“I am delighted that at least 4,280 West Lothian kids will have their Scottish Child Payment doubled in just four months time. This will give £20 per child per week to those children - four times the amount originally demanded by campaigners.

“The Scottish Government’s national mission to tackle child poverty is absolute – with £1,143,880  having been provided to families in the region since February, and almost £32 million across Scotland as a whole.

“The doubling of the Scottish Child Payment to £20 is the type of bold action that makes a real difference to people’s lives and shows how focussed the Scottish Government is on meeting Scotland’s Child Poverty targets. 

ENDS

NOTES

Tables from Scottish Child Payment: high level statistics to 30 September 2021

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