MSP WELCOMES DOUBLING OF SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT

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.”