Reading Time: 10 minutesThis blog provides a summary of the Scottish Government’s priorities as set out in the First Minister’s statement on 22 May 2024.
Category: Social Security
Is Scotland going to meet its child poverty targets?
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe latest statistics show that Scotland is far from achieving its child poverty targets.
Additional Costs of Disability
Reading Time: 4 minutesDisabled people face additional costs compared to non-disabled people. These costs are many and varied, and depend on individual circumstances, such as type of disability,
Cost crisis: Constituency support for enquiries related to the cost of living and the cost of doing business
Reading Time: 5 minutesThis blog contains up-to-date links to a selection of trusted and official external sources of information relating to support available for individuals and organisations to help with the cost crisis.
Social Security Scotland Benefits
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuick overview of Social Security Scotland benefit rates for 2024/25.
Tackling the cost of living – Scottish Government Policy
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe Scottish Government has highlighted around £3 billion of spending per year on policies that help tackle the cost of living. This blog looks at those policies and how spending on them has changed over three years. It also looks at how people’s views of their own household finances have changed over the last two years.
Social Security Budget
Reading Time: 5 minutesSocial security spending makes up 13% of the entire budget In 2024-25, the Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast social security benefit spend of £6,283 million. This
UK Autumn Statement 2023
Reading Time: 5 minutesThis blog summarises yesterday’s UK Autumn Statement and the implications for Scotland and the Scottish Budget.
The 2023-24 Programme for Government – three missions: “equality, opportunity and community”
Reading Time: 24 minutesThis blog provides a summary and analysis of the 2023-24 Programme for Government.
Scottish Social Security: Application Processing Times
Reading Time: 7 minutesScottish disability benefits are taking a long time to process, and the huge increase in applications for Scottish Child Payment in November, as a result of extending eligibility to children under 16, was still being worked through at the end of December.
This blog looks at the statistics on processing times for Scottish Social Security payments, focusing on Scottish Child Payment and disability benefits.