MSPs called on to back Scottish Budget and help eradicate child poverty

Shirley-Anne Somerville has called on MSPs from opposition parties to back the Scottish Budget, which she says will help eradicate child poverty.  

This comes ahead of a debate later this afternoon in the Scottish Parliament on how the budget can improve the state of child poverty in Scotland.  

The social justice minister will urge opposition MSPs to back the budget, which will deliver more warm homes, help people to access and sustain good jobs, and will increase benefit expenditure. 

She will detail the measures the Scottish Government believes will help drive progress on its national mission to eradicate child poverty, including £6.9bn for benefits expenditure, £3m to develop systems needed to mitigate the two-child cap in 2026, doubling the budget available to support Fairer Futures Partnerships to £6m, and further expansion of free school meals.  

If the Scottish Government’s budget is successful, it will also commit £90m to devolved employability services, which it says will ensure people across Scotland can access personalised support to move into sustainable work.  

Somerville is expected to say: “Through this budget, the Scottish Government is continuing to commit more than £3bn a year to measures which tackle poverty and support households with the cost of living, including the Scottish Child Payment which is putting more money directly into the pockets of low-income families. 

“This builds upon the actions we have taken to date, which modelling published in February 2024 estimates will keep 100,000 children out of relative poverty this year. 

“This budget is unashamedly optimistic in bringing forward investment that will help to put Scotland on a more prosperous, sustainable footing that is fairer for all. 

“I appeal to members to embrace that positive vision and support this budget – so that we can continue to build the thriving Scotland that we across this chamber all want to see.”