Tag: Budget 2023-24

EIS: Scottish Government must reverse free school meals delay to help tackle poverty

The EIS is calling upon the Scottish Government to reverse its decision to delay roll-out of free school meals to all children in Primaries 6 and 7.

The commitment was originally due to be delivered by last August, but a previous decision by the Scottish Government delayed the roll-out. This year’s Scottish Budget, published recently, revealed that the universal roll-out of free school meals for P6 and P7 will now be delayed by a further two years, until 2024.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “Delaying the roll-out of free school meals to all primary school children was a shameful decision, which runs contrary to the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to tackling child poverty.

“This is now the second time that the roll-out of this hugely important policy has been delayed, with serious consequences for thousands of children and families across Scotland. It is also extremely disappointing how this change in policy came to light – not announced in Parliament, but obscured within the detail of the budget document itself.

“In a country where more than 1 child in 4 lives in poverty, and with the cost-of-living crisis pushing ever more families into financial difficulty, it is more important than ever that universal free school meals should be a priority.”

Ms Bradley added, “Although a watered-down, means-tested policy is being implemented for P6 and P7, this will miss many young people who will just fail to qualify for a free meal, placing great strain on families already struggling with the soaring cost of living.

“Means-testing of entitlement also does nothing to reduce the stigma families and young people often feel in claiming a free meal, which leads to many young people declining to take a free meal in order to avoid unwanted scrutiny from others or being isolated from friends if they do go to the school canteen for their meal when their friends not entitled to free meals go elsewhere to eat.

“Universal free meals remain the best way to ensure that all young people have access to a healthy and nutritious meal at school, without any stigma being attached. The Scottish Government claims that practical barriers to universal roll-out are the problem. The EIS view is that young people should not be hungry, stigmatised or left out whilst adults dither over dining chairs, tables and cutlery.

“Direct cash payments to cover the cost of food at school could be made as was done during the pandemic when schools were closed.”

The EIS has long called for the roll-out of universal free school meals for all young people. In addition to completing the roll-out to all primary pupils, the EIS believes that all secondary school pupils should also receive free school meals.

General Secretary Andrea Bradley is a long-standing member of the STUC Women’s Committee, which has also been active in the campaign for free school meals to combat the impact of poverty.

Supporting families with cost of school

Budget sets out £4.85 billion investment in Education and Skills

A range of measures to help children, parents and carers with costs around school have been set out in the Scottish Government’s budget. These include expansion of free school meals in primary schools, holiday food provision and investment to ensure the school clothing grant national minimum of £120 for primary pupils and £150 for secondary pupils.

The spending plans for 2023-24 allocates £4.85 billion of funding across the education and skills portfolio, including measures to address the cost of living crisis.

New investment will see free school meals expanded to primary six and seven pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment – the next step in Scottish Government plans to deliver universal free school meals in primary schools.

It also includes £22 million of continued support to provide meals during the school holidays to children who need them most, along with £200 million for the Scottish Attainment Challenge.

In addition, the budget allocates £50 million of funding to continue to support the Whole Family Wellbeing programme of activity, a key pillar of The Promise, to support families to thrive.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “I am committed to improving the life chances of all Scotland’s children, young people and learners. The measures set out in these spending plans are driven by our ambition to enable everybody to reach their full potential.

“We know the toll that the cost of living crisis has taken on families and households across Scotland and investment is being made in a range of important measures which will help mitigate the impact of this.

“The expansion of free school meals in primary schools continues, providing a benefit in kind of around £400 per child for families, while the ongoing investment in the school clothing grant and access to digital devices will help those who need it most.

“Our ongoing commitment to free university tuition means that, unlike elsewhere in the UK, Scottish domiciled students do not incur additional debt of up to £27,750, and average student loan debt in Scotland remains the lowest in the UK.

“In Scotland we also have the most teachers-per-pupil, along with the highest per-pupil education spend anywhere in the UK. We will continue to provide local authorities with funding of £145.5 million per year to support the teaching workforce, as part of the overall local government settlement of £13.2 billion.

“Our commitment to closing the poverty related-attainment gap remains paramount and that is why we will invest a further £200 million next year in the Scottish Attainment Challenge – as part of our £1 billion commitment in this Parliament.”

The measures set out in the budget to help reduce the cost of school include:

  • Providing more than £13 million to uprate the School Clothing Grant in line with inflation.
  • Investing an additional £16 million resource and £80 million capital to fund the expansion of Free School Meals for all Primary 6 and 7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, as the next step in fulfilling the commitment to universal provision in primary schools
  • Continuing to invest £22 million to provide meals during school holidays to the children who need them most.
  • Maintaining subsidy arrangements for the provision of milk and working with partners on a phased approach to the delivery of a universal milk scheme, aligned to the expansion of free school meals.
  • Investing £20 million towards the commitment to ensure every school-aged child, over the lifetime of the parliament, has access to a digital device to support their learning
  • Investment of nearly £2 billion towards Scotland’s universities and colleges to support delivery of high-quality education and training. This includes a cash increase of £20 million in the Higher Education resource budget compared to 2022-23, and a cash increase of £33.7 million in the Further Education resource and capital budget.

The Scottish budget for 2023-24 was published on Thursday 15 December.

£20 million referendum funding will support people struggling with their energy bills

Fuel Insecurity Fund extended to help fuel poor households

Thousands of vulnerable households will be supported by the continuation of the Scottish Government’s uprated £20 million Fuel Insecurity Fund.

Announced as part of last week’s Scottish Budget 2023-24, the investment will enable third sector partners to continue to provide support to households who are at risk of self-disconnection or self-rationing their energy use.

While the Scottish Government remains committed to engaging with the UK Government to deliver a referendum on Scottish Independence, funding that was originally earmarked for a referendum in 2023 will now be used to help tackle fuel poverty.

Last week’s Scottish Budget included additional steps to address inequality while tackling the climate emergency including increased investment of over £366 million next year to support the delivery of the Heat in Buildings Strategy. It forms part of a package of measures introduced by the Scottish Government to protect the most vulnerable households from the impact of the current cost of living crisis.

The decisions taken through the Emergency Budget Review in November enabled the Scottish Government to provide additional immediate support to people most impacted by the cost of living crisis, specifically rising energy prices, by doubling the Fuel Insecurity Fund to £20 million this year. The Scottish Budget is now protecting that investment into 2023-24.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings Patrick Harvie met with people on the frontline of tackling fuel poverty, while visiting the Wise Group in Glasgow, a social enterprise working to lift people out of poverty by providing mentoring support to help with employment and life skills and offering energy advice.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “People across our country are paying a steep price for the economic mismanagement of the UK Government, with the cost of living forcing many to choose between heating their home or eating – the Fuel Insecurity Fund aims to stop that happening.

“The Scottish Government has, and always will, use its currently limited powers to the maximum extent in order to meet the challenges being faced by the people of Scotland right now. Powers relating to energy markets are reserved to the UK Government, so I am renewing my call for further and more urgent action, to support the most vulnerable households.

“With this intervention – as with many others the Scottish Government has set out – we are having to divert funding into policies that aim to minimise the impact on people as a direct result of UK Government policy.

“The full powers of independence would enable us to make different choices and help people facing the devastating consequences of the cost of living crisis.”

Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings and Tenants’ Rights Patrick Harvie said: “Everyone needs a safe, warm and affordable place to call home and yet despite this we know that many people are struggling under the weight of their energy bills and wider cost of living pressures.

“Last week, the Scottish Budget confirmed £366m for insulating homes and buildings and tackling fuel poverty as part of our £1.8 billion commitment to Heat in Buildings over this Parliament.

“That is essential work to make sure that Scotland has warmer homes which are cheaper to heat for decades ahead.  We also need the full range of powers on matters like energy pricing, consumer protection and energy supply to make the biggest possible difference.

“But right now, the Fuel Insecurity Fund is a lifeline to many people struggling most with fuel poverty which is why we have made the commitment for next year.”

Breaking Point!

COSLA: COUNCIL SERVICES AT SEVERE RISK AS SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT FAILS TO RESPOND TO SOS CALL

The Scottish Government has failed to respond in its Budget in any meaningful way to COSLA’s SOS calls. This means that Councils are left at real financial risk for the coming year, and it will be the people of Scotland and our communities who suffer as a result.

Following a full meeting of Council Leaders yesterday (Friday 16th December) COSLA said it was extremely disappointed that once again Local Government and the essential services it delivers have not been prioritised by the Scottish Government in Thursday’s budget announcement.

Council Leaders also expressed their extreme disappointment with the settlement for Local Government and with its presentation which lacks consistency with a partnership approach.

As part of offering up a solution, Leaders called on the Scottish Government to pause the current plans for structural change required to set up the National Care Service and redirect the funding allocated within the Scottish Budget into social care and preventative services through Local Government.

Speaking yesterday COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said:  “Council Services will now be at absolute breaking point and some may have to stop altogether.

“This is a result of cuts to our Councils’ core budgets and direction on spend towards other Scottish Government priorities over the last few years. Yesterday’s budget announcement compounds this and there is a real risk that many of our essential services will not only be cut but may have to stop altogether.

“Council Leaders were unanimous today that we need to work together, with one Local Government voice, to raise our concerns at the highest level.

“The Fraser of Allander Institute has already commented on the settlement stating that although Scottish Government has presented a cash increase for Local Government, Councils will see a “real-terms decrease relative to a GDP deflator of 4.9%.”

COSLA President Councillor Shona Morrison added:  “The reality of the situation is that yet again, the essential services Councils deliver have not been prioritised by the Scottish Government.

“COSLA asked for £1bn but from our initial assessment of the Budget, we believe that Local Government will see an uplift of only £71m once policy commitments are taken into account. Whilst the decision to allow councils the freedom to set their own council tax rates is welcomed, scope will be extremely limited this year, as councils seek to protect the most vulnerable in our communities, recognising the cost-of-living crisis.

COSLA Vice President Councillor Steven Heddle said:  “Yes, money is tight, but Scottish Government has made political choices. Cuts to our core budget hit the most vulnerable in our communities the hardest and are damaging to our workforce – Scottish Government needs to consider this seriously.  

“That is why Council Leaders were unanimous today that we must fight for a fairer settlement.”

Read our Budget Reality document here to find out more (PDF Download).

Cost of living crisis: Holyrood’s Finance Committee launches inquiry

How will the rising cost of living affect the Scottish Budget in 2023-24? Will the Scottish Government’s proposals for reforming the public service deliver the efficiencies expected?

These and other key questions are the focus of the Finance and Public Administration Committee’s inquiry that begins today.

The committee is seeking views from organisations and the public to inform its pre-budget scrutiny work, prior to the Scottish Government publishing its 2023/24 budget later this year. 

Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “The next Scottish Budget will be challenging as the current cost-of-living crisis impacts on Scotland.

The Committee is therefore keen to hear from organisations and individuals how the Scottish Government’s Budget in 2023-24 should respond to this crisis.  

“We also want to hear views on how the government’s proposed reform of the public service will support its future spending plans.” 

Mr Gibson concluded: “Using the government’s resource spending review announced in May, we will focus our pre-budget scrutiny on the proposals for reforming the public service, the impact of the cost of living crisis on the Scottish Budget, and how spending priorities might affect the delivery of national outcomes.”