by BILL HEANEY
The Scottish Government has been asked by an SNP MSP what additional measures it is taking to support low-income households to manage rising living costs during the current financial year.
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing, Shirley-Anne Somerville, told Zen Ghani: “The Scottish Government recognises the continuing pressure on household budgets, which is why we are investing more than £3.5 billion in 2026-27 to tackle poverty and support people with the cost of living.
“That includes our five family payments, free school meals and winter heating benefits, alongside £159 million this year to mitigate the impact of United Kingdom welfare policies.
“We are considering the detail of the UK Government’s budget, including the proposed £100 household energy payment, and we will ensure that households in Scotland benefit.
“However, households need lasting support, including an energy social tariff and an end to damaging welfare policies.”
Zen Ghani, PITURED RIGHT, replied that many families are having to make difficult choices between heating and eating as the cost of living continues to rise“What additional support can the Scottish Government provide to help households in areas of deprivation, and how will it ensure that people are made aware of the support that is available to them?”
Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “As an example of the available support, I point to the sum of more than £18 million this year for free welfare, debt and income maximization advice services, which help people to access the support to which they are entitled.
“However, the job would be made much easier if the UK Government budget had not been so much of a dismal failure in relation to actually helping people with the cost of living crisis.
“There was no lifting of the freeze on the local housing allowance, no scrapping of the bedroom tax or the benefit cap and no energy social tariffs, so the Scottish Government will continue to get on with supporting households throughout the country.
“It is just a real shame that yesterday’s budget was a missed opportunity to add to that effort.”
Green MSP Iris Duane, LEFT, said: “Yesterday, the Scottish Government revealed that it will mirror the UK Government and give people in council tax bands A to D a £100 household energy payment. “Although I, of course, welcome anything that helps my constituents to deal with the cost of living, that fails to address the broken council tax system on which it is based.
“To actually help working-class families to manage the cost of living, can the cabinet secretary confirm whether the Government is working swiftly to abolish the regressive and punitive council tax?”
Shirley-Anne Somerville replied: “The work on council tax is ongoing, led by the Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth.
“There is an agreement about a need for reform, and the challenge is to determine what that reform looks like.
“In the meantime, given that the Scottish Government was given no notice of the UK Government’s £100 council tax benefit policy, we are having to work at speed to ensure that households benefit from it this winter.”