Richard Lochhead hails "life changing" support increase for Moray families
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
SNP MSP Richard Lochhead has welcomed a recent increase to the Scottish Child Payment.
Shona Robinson, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, announced the increase of £5 which will bring the total weekly payment per child to £25.
The increase will take effect at the end of the year and is set to benefit 1630 children in Moray.
Mr Lochhead said: "These package of measures to tackle child poverty are hugely welcome and the impact it will have on households in Moray cannot be underestimated - increasing the Scottish Child Payment even further, to £25 per week per child, will make such a difference to families struggling to cope with the Tory cost of living crisis right now.
"This stands in stark contrast to the Tory Chancellor’s spring statement which utterly failed to provide any meaningful lifeline support for people in Moray who are facing soaring energy bills and a cost of living crisis now - and that was a political choice.
"I am glad that families in Moray have an SNP Scottish Government taking serious, life-changing action to protect them where it can within limited powers and a fixed budget. The significant parental employment package also announced will help people of Moray into fair and sustainable work.
"Other political parties must now recognise the reality that whilst the SNP is doing what it can to put money in people’s pockets in Scotland and tackle poverty, Westminster is consistently undermining Scotland’s efforts through their damaging policy agenda."
Douglas Ross, Moray MP and Sottish Conservative leader, defended his party's measures to combat the cost of living crisis and reaffirmed their support for the Scottish Child Payment.
He said: "The Scottish Conservatives have been fully supportive of the Scottish Child Payment since it was introduced and indeed repeatedly pressed SNP Ministers to go quicker in doubling it.
"We all have a duty to support constituents through this cost-of-living crisis, yet the local SNP MSP typically would rather spend his time pointing the blame at Westminster.
"Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement delivered the biggest ever cut in fuel duty and a boost in the National Insurance thresholds for the lowest paid. Coupled with a planned cut in income tax and support for businesses, it delivered for Moray.
"Measures to increase the child payment are of course welcome, but the SNP have missed child poverty targets in recent years and must use every power at their disposal, to improve on that record."
The Scottish Government also announced an increase in employment services to help parents into fair and sustainable work, investment of up to £15 million to tackle financial barriers parents face when they enter the labour market and immediate steps to mitigate the benefit cap.
The Scottish Government estimates that the measures will lift 60,000 children out of relative poverty by 2023/24.
