I’ve written at some length over the years about the SNP Government’s achievements with progressive policies on taxation and benefits, to counter Tory austerity and, within the constraints of the devolution settlement, make this a less unequal society.
You can see them again at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=progressive
Today from SNP Media:
At least 145,000 school children across Scotland are set to benefit from an increase in the School Clothing Grant announced by the SNP Scottish Government.
Research from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) estimates that the £11.8million investment from the Scottish Government in the support means more families will have access to support to pay for school clothes and shoes.
Eligible families will receive the increased annual grant of £120 for every primary school pupil and £150 for every secondary pupil.
Commenting, SNP MSP Natalie Don said:
“Already the SNP Scottish Government has helped thousands of low-income families across Scotland through progressive policies including the Best Start Grants, Best Start Foods, Scottish Child Payment and with help with costs of school. This includes Free School Meals and the School Clothing Grant which helps families with costs of buying school clothes and shoes.
“Meeting the costs of buying school clothes can be very challenging for thousands of families and the SNP Scottish Government has increased the School Clothing Grant to ensure every child in Scotland doesn’t miss out.
“This is another demonstration of the difference between two governments as the one in Edinburgh builds a fairer more equal society whilst the Tory government in Westminster is preparing to cut Universal Credit, which could plunge 20,000 children in Scotland into poverty.”
Notes
The figures are based on the below research from SPICe, based on the 5th July. We may see an increase in the number of people eligible as we have seen an increase in those on social security that will qualify.
The number of children and young people whom we estimate will benefit from the minimum school clothing grant, broken down by local authority area, is provided within the following table:
| Local Authority | Estimated number of children and young people (in each LA area) |
| Aberdeen City | 3,471 |
| Aberdeenshire | 3,376 |
| Angus | 2,473 |
| Argyll and Bute | 1,463 |
| Clackmannanshire | 1,349 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 3,374 |
| Dundee City | 6,045 |
| East Ayrshire | 4,167 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 2,014 |
| East Lothian | 1,682 |
| East Renfrewshire | 1,714 |
| Edinburgh, City of | 6,821 |
| Eilean Siar (Western Isles) | 416 |
| Falkirk | 4,678 |
| Fife | 11,882 |
| Glasgow City | 28,464 |
| Highland | 4,333 |
| Inverclyde | 3,114 |
| Midlothian | 2,018 |
| Moray | 1,434 |
| North Ayrshire | 5,186 |
| North Lanarkshire | 10,234 |
| Orkney Islands | 227 |
| Perth and Kinross | 1,850 |
| Renfrewshire | 5,498 |
| Scottish Borders | 2,220 |
| Shetland Islands | 309 |
| South Ayrshire | 2,926 |
| South Lanarkshire | 10,622 |
| Stirling | 1,692 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 3,530 |
| West Lothian | 6,498 |
| SCOTLAND | 145,080 |
The funding allocation of the £11.8 million in additional funding for the school clothing grant, broken down by local authority area, is provided within the following table:
| Local Authority | Additional funding for school clothing grants |
| Aberdeen City | £351,000 |
| Aberdeenshire | £371,000 |
| Angus | £239,000 |
| Argyll and Bute | £155,000 |
| Clackmannanshire | £136,000 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | £354,000 |
| Dundee City | £357,000 |
| East Ayrshire | £334,000 |
| East Dunbartonshire | £146,000 |
| East Lothian | £218,000 |
| East Renfrewshire | £147,000 |
| Edinburgh, City of | £698,000 |
| Eilean Siar (Western Isles) | £43,000 |
| Falkirk | £363,000 |
| Fife | £935,000 |
| Glasgow City | £1,940,000 |
| Highland | £469,000 |
| Inverclyde | £161,000 |
| Midlothian | £191,000 |
| Moray | £187,000 |
| North Ayrshire | £379,000 |
| North Lanarkshire | £929,000 |
| Orkney Islands | £40,000 |
| Perth and Kinross | £274,000 |
| Renfrewshire | £363,000 |
| Scottish Borders | £245,000 |
| Shetland Islands | £29,000 |
| South Ayrshire | £237,000 |
| South Lanarkshire | £678,000 |
| Stirling | £161,000 |
| West Dunbartonshire | £234,000 |
| West Lothian | £436,000 |
| SCOTLAND | £11,800,000 |
Contact: SNP Media
These lists should be sent to every Scottish Unionist MP and MSP and asked if they agree with this decision .
A similar list indicating all those families losing their £20 ‘top-up’ Universal Credit payment should be sent to every Scottish Unionist MP and MSP and asked if they support the Westminster decision .
People in Scotland need to know on which side of the ‘Poverty line’ these politicians stand .
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The following was written by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRT) – the charity that researches and campaigns to tackle poverty in the UK – in 2019:
“The Scottish Government’s decisive and compassionate move to bring in the new Scottish Child Payment is the lifeline children and their families need, and is a BEACON OF PROGRESSIVE POLICY for the rest of the UK’
‘This rightly has been LAUDED AS A LANDMARK MOMENT and the MOST PROGRESSIVE POLICY BROUGHT IN SINCE DEVOLUTION 20 years ago. We’ve now seen the Scottish Government decisively put words into action and we believe this will be a foundational step in turning the tide on child poverty in Scotland. Once fully rolled out, over 400,000 children will benefit, and 30,000 children could be freed from poverty.’ (my emphasis)
The JRT offers this context: ‘Poverty in Scotland is rising and WE KNOW MUCH OF THIS IS DUE TO A REDUCTION IN THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING FROM THE UK SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM.’
Source: https://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/scottish-child-payment-will-turn-tide-child-poverty
(These statements from the JRT were written BEFORE the Scottish Government announced its intention to double the Scottish Child Payment!)
However, as I noted this here btl recently:
Chris Birt, deputy director for Scotland at the JRT was reported in an STV online news article (14 July) discussing the impact of the Tory Government’s decision to cut Universal Credit. Birt states: “If this cut to Universal Credit goes ahead in October, ALL THE PROMISED DOUBLING OF THE SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT WILL ACHIEVE IS TO REVERSE THE EFFECTS OF THIS DAMAGING CUT.”
So, based on these two sets of JRT statements we have this situation in Scotland:
(i) a problem of poverty which was caused largely by the social policies of a Westminster government that a majority in Scotland haven’t voted for;
(ii) a ’decisive and progressive’, lauded policy introduced to address this problem of poverty by a Scottish government we in Scotland did vote for; but now
(iii) the policy solution implemented of the Government we did vote for is being undermined directly by the action by the Westminster government we didn’t vote for!
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Thanks for this. I’ll remember this for the next time somebody says “But we’d be worse off if it wasn’t for The Union”.
I’m starting a list of facts that I can preface with “Mm. I used to think that – which is why I eventually voted No in 2014. But…”
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