Here’s how the snp is tackling child poverty in scotland — scottish national party

We’re determined to ensure that no child grows up in poverty anywhere in Scotland – and the SNP Scottish Government is backing up its ambition with bold actions to build a fairer future for

all. Here’s all you need to know about the actions we’re taking to tackle child poverty. ------------------------- THE SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT: “GAME-CHANGER” IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST CHILD

POVERTY The SNP Scottish Government has introduced the Scottish Child Payment, which helps tackle child poverty by putting cash in the pockets of low income families with children. The

independent Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) hailed it as “an absolute game-changer in the fight to end child poverty”. In 2022, to help with the cost of living crisis, we have increased

the payment by 150%, to £25 per child per week – and extended the payment to all eligible under 16s. Scotland is the only part of the UK where this additional support payment for families

with children is available, and the Scottish Child Payment is the most ambitious anti-poverty measure taken across the four nations. > 👉🏼 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 BEST START GRANTS: PROVIDING VITAL

SUPPORT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF A CHILD’S LIFE We are delivering three Best Start Grant payments to support families with payments at pivotal times in a child’s life. The payments are

providing families on lower incomes with £600 on the birth of their first child, and £300 on the birth of later children. Another payment is made around nursery age and school age of under

6s. Together with our Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Foods – which is a Scottish Government benefit helping those who are pregnant or have young children with the costs of buying

healthy, nutritious food – this is around £10,000 OF VITAL SUPPORT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF LIFE. > 🍎 We’re expanding eligibility for Best Start Foods, to help > more pregnant women and 

families with children buy healthy foods. >  > 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 This is one of our five family > payments, which together save families more than £10,000 by the > time a first child turns

 six. pic.twitter.com/wVGhzR1BHs >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) May 12, 2023 A BABY BOX FOR EVERY CHILD BORN IN SCOTLAND: GIVING EVERYBODY AN EQUAL START IN LIFE We’re determined that every

child, regardless of their circumstances, should get the best start in life – which is why we’ve introduced and are delivering the Baby Box to every baby born in Scotland. The box includes

essential items for a baby’s first weeks and months, provides a safe space for babies to sleep, and helps tackle child poverty while supporting new parents. Scotland’s policy has since been

followed by other countries, such as Ireland. > Really excited to receive our Baby Box today! It ensures that every > family has the essentials for their little arrival. >  > 

Here's a wee video to show you how much comes in Scotland's > fantastic Baby Box! https://t.co/04xZ40LehV > pic.twitter.com/yFr9L10X42 >  > — Humza Yousaf 

(@HumzaYousaf) April 12, 2019 FREE EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE: SAVING FAMILIES AROUND £5,000 PER CHILD EVERY YEAR We have delivered the transformative expansion of free, high quality

childcare to 1,140 hours – the same time a child spends in primary school – for all 3 and 4 year olds, and 2 year olds from low income households. We’ve also recently invested an extra £15

million in expanding school-age childcare – funding more after-school activities and holiday clubs to help tackle child poverty. Scotland already has the most generous childcare provision

anywhere in the UK, but we want to go even further. This includes building a future system of ‘wraparound’ childcare and a new early learning and childcare offer for one and two-year-olds,

starting with those who need it most. > 🚸 We're investing an extra £15 million in free school-age > childcare. >  > ⚽️ This will help to expand after school and holiday 

clubs > across Scotland. >  > 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland already has the most generous > childcare offer in the UK, and we're working to go even further. > 

pic.twitter.com/73TXiyQqQd >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) April 3, 2023 HEALTHY, FREE SCHOOL MEALS: SAVING FAMILIES AROUND £400 PER CHILD EVERY YEAR We have significantly expanded free

school meals provision – making them universal to all pupils in primaries 1 to 5, as well as eligible children from P6 up to S6. We’re committed to further expanding eligibility to all

pupils in primaries 6 and 7. This is helping to save families around £400 per child every year, and helping to tackle inequality while improving children’s health and ability to learn. > 

🍎 We've expanded healthy free school meals to all children in P1 > to P5 – saving families around £400 per year. >  > 🍝 And to ensure that no child goes hungry, we want to go 

even > further – we're working to go expand free school meals to all > pupils in P6 and P7, all year round. pic.twitter.com/rlPWj9P7tr >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) March 6, 2023

FREE BUS TRAVEL FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER 22 We’re delivering the transformative policy of free bus travel for young people in every part of Scotland, across the whole country. Everyone

under the age of 22 – around 930,000 young people – are eligible, and over 50 million free bus journeys have already been made. Scotland is the only nation in the UK where this is available,

and free bus travel for under-22s saves £3,000 in the lifetime cost of a child in Scotland compared to England. > 🚍 Exactly one year ago, we've made bus travel across Scotland > 

free for all people under 22 – helping to save money and cutting > emissions. >  > 👍🏼 We've also protected free bus travel for those over 60 and > people with 

disabilities.#DeliveringForScotland > pic.twitter.com/kltPgPEm6J >  > — The SNP (@theSNP) January 31, 2023 RECORD INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION We’re determined to ensure that every child

has the best start in life – that’s why we’re investing a record amount in Scotland’s education system, with £1 billion for the Scottish Attainment Challenge to support our most

disadvantaged pupils. The funding goes directly to schools and headteachers, who provide targeted help to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap. We also firmly believe that education

must be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay – which is why we’re delivering free tuition in Scotland, in contrast to England and Wales where students face fees of over

£27,000. Under the SNP, university admissions are at a record high – with 301,230 students enrolled at Scottish universities in 2021-22, and 16.5% of entrants coming from the 20% most

deprived areas of Scotland. > 🎓 We’ve scrapped tuition fees in Scotland, and we will protect > free tuition. >  > 📣 @HumzaYousaf: "I believe that education should be based 

on the > ability to learn, not the ability to pay. >  > There will be no movement at all from the Scottish Government in > relation to free tuition.” pic.twitter.com/zYaiy3khMA

>  > — The SNP (@theSNP) May 10, 2023 A NEW, FAIRER, MORE COMPASSIONATE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM FOR SCOTLAND We have established a new social security system for Scotland, and 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. Most of the

social security budget is still reserved to Westminster, but while almost 13 years of Tory austerity and welfare cuts have pushed families into poverty, we’re doing all we can to lift people

out of poverty – including FULLY MITIGATING THE TORY BEDROOM TAX and, where powers allow, SUPPORTING FAMILIES HIT BY THE TORY BENEFIT CAP. According to an IFS report, thanks to the Scottish

Government’s policies, the poorest families with children in Scotland are around £2,000 better off per year. > 👉 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 WHILE THE SNP INVESTS TO LIFT PEOPLE OUT OF

POVERTY, WESTMINSTER CONTROL DRAGS US BACKWARDS After 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. 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 the full powers of

independence, Scotland can unleash its full potential and build a better society. Join us today and help make it happen. > 🇪🇺 While countries similar to Scotland's size invest in 

their > people, Westminster control is holding Scotland back. >  > 🔎 Figures reveal the UK has the highest poverty rate out of > neighbouring countries. >  > 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

Let's choose a different path with > independence. https://t.co/fkiOEPFSzq pic.twitter.com/dADgkylR2m >  > — Yes (@YesScot) May 10, 2023