Government will invest more than £196 million in winter heating benefits — Swinney

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by Bill Heaney

What is the Scottish Government doing to support households with the cost of living this Christmas?

First Minister John Swinney told the Scottish Parliament on Thursday: “We know that people continue to struggle with the cost of bills and life’s essentials, particularly during the winter and especially at Christmas time.

“The Government is doing all that it can to help within the powers that we have available to us. We will continue to allocate more than £3 billion a year to policies that tackle poverty and help to address the cost of living crisis.

“This winter, we will invest more than £196 million in our winter heating benefits, which provide vital support for low-income households, families with disabled children or young people, and pensioners.”

David Torrance MSP told him: “I welcome the measures outlined by the First Minister, which are more necessary than ever, as Labour continuously fails to deliver during the cost of living crisis.

“Scots were told by Keir Starmer that their bills would fall by £300 per year.

“Now, they are rising by almost £200 and are set to increase again in January and April.

“That means that households will be left around £500 worse off this Christmas than was promised.

“With the United Kingdom Government delivering nothing but rising bills and rising hardships, does the First Minister agree that it is only through independence that we can protect our living standards and cut household bills?”

The First Minister told the Holyrood chamber: “Members of the public can see what the United Kingdom Government delivers. At the election, it promised a cut in fuel bills, but those bills are rising. That is what the United Kingdom delivers to an energy-rich country.
“The sooner that Scotland’s energy is under the control of the people of Scotland, who can benefit from the energy potential of our country, the better, so that we can reduce the costs that people face for their domestic energy and commercial heating.”

One comment

  1. The real issue with the cost of heating crisis is the immense profiteering by corporate and Westminster government interests.

    Scotland had immense revenue from oil and gas. But where did the money go.

    Scotland now has a Klondyke of renewable wind energy. The country on and offshore is being covered by wind generators. Hydro power and storage is being expanded. Battery parks are being built all over Scotland. Huge power lines are being built too to take the power down south.

    But what benefit to Scotland as its many struggle to heat their homes with some of the highest electricity costs Scotland.

    It truly makes one wonder if fuel poverty is real. Surely if it was folks would be doing something about the huge wealth being extracted from Scotland.

    Glass beads, and a drudgery attitude come to mind and of course if you dont look after yourself then who will.

    Reply

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