AT LEAST 4,075 CHILDREN IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN TO BENEFIT FROM DOUBLING OF SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT.

SNP MSP, Colin Beattie, has welcomed the First Minister’s announcement that the Scottish Child Payment will be doubled from April 2022.
 
The announcement will see at least 2,120 eligible children across Midlothian and 1,955 eligible children across East Lothian receiving £20 per week per child from spring next year, with more than 106,000 children across Scotland immediately benefitting from the increased payment. 
 
Since the launch of the Scottish Government payment on 15 February 2021, £595,900 has been issued in payments to families in Midlothian and £535,800 issued to families in East Lothian since February.  
 
It is now expected that over 400,000 children could be eligible for the doubled payment by the end 2022, which is when the benefit, which is unique in the UK, will be extended to children under the age of 16.
 
Commenting SNP MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Colin Beattie said:
 
“I am delighted that at least 4,075 children across Midlothian and East Lothian will have their Scottish Child Payment doubled in just four months time. This will give £20 per child per week to 4,075 children in Midlothian and East Lothian - four times the amount originally demanded by campaigners.
 
“The Scottish Government’s national mission to tackle child poverty is absolute - with £1,131,700 having been provided to families across both Midlothian and East Lothian since February, and almost £32 million across Scotland as a whole.
 
“The doubling of the Scottish Child Payment to £20 is the type of bold action that makes a real difference to people’s lives and shows how focussed the Scottish Government is on meeting Scotland’s Child Poverty targets.
 
“Once again, the tale of two governments is striking. While the SNP are doubling the Scottish Child Payment to lift thousands of children out of poverty, the Tories at Westminster have just cut £20 per week from many of the same families – knowingly pushing thousands of families into poverty. 
 
“The people in Midlothian and East Lothian deserve the chance to escape the damaging policies we get under Westminster control and get the chance to choose a better path, one with the full powers that an independent Scotland would bring and allow us to build a fairer society.”

SNP MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Colin Beattie, has welcome the Scottish Government’s rollout of financial support for families of children with a disability. 
 
The new payment, which provides money to help with the extra costs of caring for a child with a disability or ill-health condition, opens for applications across the country today.
 
For the first time anywhere in the UK, disability benefit applicants can apply for Child Disability Payment online, as well as by phone, post or face-to-face.
 
As the Child Disability Payment replaces the UK Government’s Disability Living Allowance for children, this is for new applications. Those already receiving Disability Living Allowance for children do not need to apply. These approximately 52,000 current cases are being automatically transferred in phases from the Department for Work and Pensions to Social Security Scotland and will be completed by spring 2023.
 
This is the first of three complex disability benefits to be introduced by the Scottish Government, with Adult Disability Payment to start next year. 
 
Commenting SNP MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Colin Beattie, said:
 
“The Child Disability Payment is a significant milestone for Scotland’s new social security system.  
 
“I’m extremely pleased that families in Midlothian and East Lothian will benefit from a simplified and much less stressful system that allows them to apply for the payment online, by phone, by post or face to face. For too long families have faced an overly complicated process that feels like it’s been designed to keep them out.
 
“I’m glad that people in Midlothian and East Lothian, and right across Scotland, are benefitting from an SNP Government that is putting dignity, fairness and respect at the heart of its social security system.”

SNP MSP Colin Beattie has called on the Tory Westminster Government to make good on the money Scotland and Northern Ireland are owed as its share of the £20 billion from Boris Johnson’s ill-fated plan to build a bridge to Northern Ireland. Money which represents the equivalent of up to £253,056,235 for Midlothian and up to £293,126,868 for East Lothian. 
 
The project – promoted by Boris Johnson was costed at £20 billion, but since the plans for the bridge were canned the money has not been allocated for spending in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
 
Now, Colin Beattie is demanding that the money be allocated to Scotland to be spent on worthwhile transport projects that could transform connectivity in Midlothian and East Lothian.
 
 
Commenting, Colin Beattie said:
 
“Whilst the crossing was a daft idea, the SNP will engage with ideas of how funding can be distributed to ensure worthwhile investment in transport links across Scotland which will benefit communities like Midlothian and East Lothian, £20 billion for a transport project in Scotland and Northern Ireland is worth up to £253,056,235 for Midlothian and up to £293,126,868 for East Lothian.
 
“The Tories are up to their old tricks again as we saw last time they had control of Scotland’s money. When they diverted cash from the Highlands to try to boost dwindling Conservative support in south-east England.
 
“What the people of Midlothian and East Lothian need is proper commitments that will make transformational changes to connectivity across the area. Midlothian and East Lothian
share of the cash would equal up to £253,056,235 for Midlothian and up to £293,126,868 for East Lothian. and the Tories owe the community that money which would make a significant difference in how people get around.
 
“This also shows once again how out of touch Boris Johnson really is with people in Midlothian, East Lothian and across Scotland as he has his priorities all wrong to bring about real change for people here.
 
“We cannot trust the Tories to act in the best interests of Scotland and that is why the people of Scotland should have the choice of a different path towards independence.”
 

Every young person under the age of 22 in Midlothian and East Lothian will benefit from free bus travel from 31st January 2022 after an announcement by the SNP Scottish Government.
 
The announcement was made by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and meets a key manifesto pledge by the SNP in the May elections.
 
This will mean that young people in Midlothian and East Lothian will have their opportunities to learn, work and travel opened up by the scheme.
 
Research from Transport Scotland has revealed that 70% of young people would use the bus more often if it was free.
 
Commenting, SNP MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Colin Beatie said:
 
“The SNP Scottish Government is once again making an investment in our young people’s future. By making bus travel free for U22s in Midlothian North and Musselburgh and across Scotland, opportunities for young people to work, travel and study are being opened up for them.
 
“Travelling by bus is one of the most environmentally friendly way to get across the country and research shows that young people recognise the vital role public transport will play in hitting our climate change targets.
 
“This move will not only be vital in our journey to net zero, but will also take pressure off young people and their families’ finances.
 
“Once again this is a demonstration of how the SNP Scottish Government continues to support young people in Midlothian and East Lothian and across Scotland have the best possible start in life.”