Greens hail additional support for struggling households
Scottish Greens have welcomed additional support for households struggling with the rising cost of living announced in the Scottish Budget at Stage 3.
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has laid out a support package in the face of rising costs driven by a dramatic rise in energy costs.
These include £150 payments to all households in council tax bands A-D and those in higher bands in receipt of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
This builds on commitments already delivered to help with the cost of living, including a doubling of the Scottish Child Payment and funding for free bus travel for everyone under 22.
Commenting, Scottish Greens finance spokesperson Ross Greer said: “At a time when the UK Government is hiking National Insurance, cutting Universal Credit and protecting oil & gas corporations from paying their fair share of tax, I’m proud that here in Scotland the parties of government are delivering the help families really need.
“Despite the backdrop of a billion-pound cut from the UK Government, our budget delivers on the key Green priorities of tackling child poverty and the climate emergency.
“It includes the biggest increase in funding for teacher recruitment since 2007 and of course, free bus travel for young people and the doubling of the Scottish Child Payment. That’s the difference Greens are making in government.”