7 bold steps the snp is taking to tackle poverty — scottish national party

Tackling poverty and inequality is the single biggest challenge facing Scotland and requires continued, urgent and sustained action. We’re determined to tackle poverty and build a fairer,

more equal future – and we’re matching our ambition with bold, progressive policies. > Poverty and the Cost of Living crisis are the biggest challenges > facing us – exacerbated by the

 UK Government. >  > We can’t wish poverty away. We must be realistic about what can be > done – then focus on making it happen. The debate must now be > about tax, targeting and

 tough choices. https://t.co/DdjduYSLNK >  > — Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) May 3, 2023 That’s why the First Minister held an anti-poverty summit, bringing together campaigners,

cross-party representatives and those with direct experience of poverty, in order to drive new momentum in the fight against poverty in Scotland. Here’s seven things the SNP Government is

already doing. ------------------------- 1. HELPING PEOPLE WITH ENERGY COSTS AND TACKLING FUEL POVERTY We’re working hard to protect people across Scotland from the Tory cost of living

crisis, and support people struggling with their energy bills. That’s why, going beyond our original commitment to double the Fuel Insecurity Fund, First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced

tripling it to £30 million, in order to deliver even more tailored support to tens of thousands of households. We also replaced the DWP’s Cold Weather Payment which those on lowest incomes

could only get if it was cold enough for long enough. We’ve set up the Winter Heating Payment, and this year £50 was automatically paid to the the 400,000 lowest income people to support

them with their energy bills. In the longer term, we’re investing £1.6 billion to make homes across Scotland more energy efficient – helping to tackle fuel poverty and tackle the climate

crisis. > 📣 We have increased support for households struggling with energy > costs, helping to lift people out of fuel poverty. >  > 💡 Exceeding our commitment to double the 

Fuel Insecurity Fund, we > have now tripled it to £30 million. pic.twitter.com/4MbelXRqsl >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) May 2, 2023 2. A NEW, FAIRER SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM FOR SCOTLAND

We’ve established Social Security Scotland – a new Scottish social security system, with dignity, fairness and respect at its heart. Since we began making payments in 2018, it has already

made a real positive impact on people across the country – supporting families and carers on low incomes, and helping disabled people live independent lives. We’ve built this new system

with, for and around the people who use it – guided by the fundamental belief that social security is not a burden, but an investment in our people. > 👉🏼 It’s a tale of two governments.

>  > 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Despite limited powers, @scotgov is > taking bold steps to tackle poverty – with expanded free > childcare, free school meals and the Scottish Child Payment. > 

> 🇬🇧 Meanwhile, Westminster’s damaging policies push more > people into poverty. pic.twitter.com/2iNhXb3sDN >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) March 9, 2023 3. DELIVERING 13 BENEFITS – 7

OF THEM COMPLETELY NEW AND UNIQUE TO SCOTLAND We are now delivering 13 Scottish Government benefits – seven of which are completely new and unique within the UK, such as the Carers Allowance

Supplement and the Scottish Child Payment, labelled by charities as a “game-changer” in our fight against poverty. While almost 13 years of Tory austerity and welfare cuts have pushed

families into poverty, we’re using our limited powers to do all we can and lift people out of poverty. Leading UN poverty expert, Prof. Philip Alston, accused the UK government in his report

of “systematic immiseration of a significant part of the British population” – comparing the Tory welfare policies to the creation of 19th-century workhouses. In the same report, Alston

said the Scottish welfare system is “thriving” – with Scotland on “a very different trajectory” to the rest of the UK in its approach to social security. > “Open your eyes – there is very

 real poverty out there.” >  > UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston says there are people in the UK > “living in destitution” and that “government people haven’t > been out in the

 field to see what the real circumstances are.” > pic.twitter.com/wb7oPhXG93 >  > — Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) November 16, 2018 4. WE’VE INTRODUCED THE SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT

AND INCREASED IT BY 150% In 2022, to help lift children out of poverty, we’ve increased the Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week, per eligible child. That’s five times the original amount

that campaigners called for, and a 150% increase in the space of just one year. Scotland is the only part of the UK where this additional financial support payment for families with young

children is available, and the Scottish Child Payment is the most ambitious anti-poverty measure taken across the four nations. > 👉 We will invest a further £1.3bn in our Scottish Child 

Payment. >  > 👉 We will continue developing our social security system, based > on dignity and respect. >  > 👉 We will expand free school meals. >  > 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 A fairer, 

more equal Scotland is > possible. Together, we’ll work hard to build it. > pic.twitter.com/7PUbMKnp8d >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) April 18, 2023 5. STRONGEST SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES

WITH CHILDREN ANYWHERE IN THE UK A report from CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) shows that our policies are having a positive impact in on reducing the financial burden for families with

children across Scotland. Thanks to our more progressive tax and social security system, the IFS have stated that the poorest families with children in Scotland are around £2,000 better off

per year. Our policy of universal free school meals in P1-P5 makes the cost of bringing up a child £1,700 cheaper. The expanded free childcare we offer saves all families around £5,000 per

child per year. Meanwhile, free bus travel for under-22s saves £3,000 in the lifetime cost of a child in Scotland compared to England. > 🔎 Scotland’s tax and benefits system is more 

progressive than > the rest of the UK, according to a new IFS report. >  > 💷 Thanks to @scotgov‘s policies, the poorest families with > children are £2000 better off per year.

>  > 👇 Here’s all you need to know.https://t.co/tdAVOnCKqn >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) February 10, 2023 6. BEST START GRANTS: PROVIDING VITAL SUPPORT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF A

CHILD’S LIFE We are now delivering five family benefits to those most in need. Alongside the Scottish Child Payment, we have three Best Start Grants in the early years and Best Start Foods –

helping those on lower incomes who are pregnant or have young children to buy healthy, nutritious food. Our Best Start Grants support people with payments at pivotal times in a young

child’s life – with £600 on the birth of their first child, and £300 on the birth of later children, and payments when a child turns 3 and 5. This is around £10,000 support in the early

years of life. > 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 We’ve built a new social security > system based on dignity and compassion. >  > 🧒🏼 Scottish Child Payment > 🤝 Young Carer Grant > 💛 Best Start 

Grant >  > ✂️ Meanwhile, cruel Tory cuts to Universal Credit will push > thousands of working families into poverty.https://t.co/cOHFDMLz4u >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) September 

28, 2021 7. A BETTER DEAL FOR CARERS Under the old UK system, Carer’s Allowance was the lowest of all working benefits. The first new social security benefit we introduced when we had the

powers and legislation was the Carer’s Allowance Supplement – which now puts over £490 extra each year into carers’ pockets compared to carers in the rest of the UK. Across Scotland, carers

continuously in receipt of Carer’s Allowance have received over £2,500 more than carers in the rest of the UK, since we introduced it in 2018. ------------------------- SCOTTISH TAXPAYERS

GET THE BEST DEAL ANYWHERE IN THE UK, WHILE PAYING THE LOWEST AVERAGE COUNCIL TAX With a fair and progressive income tax approach, we’re delivering record high investment in our NHS,

education and social security. Under the SNP, people across Scotland benefit from: * Free university tuition * Free NHS prescriptions * Free eye tests * Free bus travel for under-22s * Free

NHS dental care for under-26s * AND MUCH MORE. Scotland also has the lowest average council tax in the UK – taxpayers in Band D are paying, on average, £590 a year less than they would in

Tory-run England, and £423 less than in Labour-run Wales. ------------------------- MEANWHILE, PEOPLE ACROSS SCOTLAND PAY THE PRICE FOR WESTMINSTER CONTROL Almost almost thirteen years of

brutal Tory austerity and a hard Brexit that Scotland never voted for, people and communities are facing real hardship – the price of Westminster control. According to the OBR, the UK

government’s own financial body, the economic hit of Brexit is twice as bad as that of Covid. Despite bold policies in Scotland, such as the Scottish Child Payment which could lift an

estimated 50,000 children out of relative poverty, more than 2,000 food banks have opened across the UK as a direct consequence of Tory cuts at Westminster. And while the UK is suffering the

worst levels of poverty and inequality out of neighbouring countries, small independent nations like Ireland, Belgium or Denmark perform significantly better. With independence, Scotland

can unleash its full potential and build a better society. JOIN US TODAY AND HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN.