Tag: Scottish Government

Additional Winter support for NHS

Measures to help NHS deal with extreme pressure

Funding of at least £8 million for additional care home beds and efforts to boost NHS 24 capacity are among the measures outlined by Health Secretary Humza Yousaf to help the NHS and social care deal with ongoing extreme winter pressure.

Health and Social Care Partnerships will share £8 million to procure around 300 additional care home beds to help alleviate pressures caused by delayed discharge. The funding will allow boards to pay 25% over and above the National Care Home rate for beds. This is in addition to around 600 interim care beds already in operation across the country.

NHS 24 is taking forward plans to recruit around 200 new starts before the end of March. In the run up to Christmas NHS 24 had already recruited over 40 whole time equivalent call operators, call handlers and clinical supervisors.

Guidance has been issued to all Boards making it clear they can take necessary steps to protect critical and life-saving care.

Mr Yousaf said: “This is the most challenging winter the NHS in Scotland has ever faced and the immediate pressure will continue for the coming weeks. My thanks to all health and social care staff for their incredible efforts during these exceptionally challenging times.

“We are ensuring all possible actions are being taken to support services, and the additional measures I have outlined today will help relieve some of the extreme pressure Health Boards are facing. We know one of the most significant issues our NHS is facing is delayed discharge, that is why I have announced further support to buy additional capacity in the care sector.

“NHS 24 has a vital role in referring people to appropriate urgent care services outside of hospitals and plans to increase staff numbers over the course of winter,  will help the service deal with increases in demand.

“Emergency care will always be there for those who need it, but for many people, the best advice and support might be available on the NHS Inform website or the NHS 24 App, or by calling NHS 24, so I would encourage people to make use of these services as many are already doing.”

Responding to the Scottish Government NHS briefing on Monday, Dr Iain Kennedy, Chair of BMA Scotland said: “”Scotland’s NHS is not just being pushed to the limit, in many places it is well past that.

“Bed occupancy of 95% across our hospitals is just not sustainable in terms of providing the safe and effective care that patients need on a daily basis either in A&E or across all wards. And we know demand is far exceeding capacity at GP surgeries too and has been for some time.

“In that context, the very fact that the First Minister and Health Secretary provided today’s briefing should emphasise the seriousness and urgency of the situation. Our members provided us with first hand testimony from all across the health service just before Christmas, and the picture that painted was really harrowing. Services and staff are on their knees.

“In terms of the short term actions that the Government indicated today, we have long emphasised the need to focus on ensuring people who are able to leave hospital, can do so – freeing up desperately needed capacity and therefore ensuring those who need to can be admitted from A&E more quickly and safely. So the focus on this is welcome, but we will need to see the details and extent of the proposals to make any judgement on the immediate impact it may have. Extra interim care beds – while something which could help as part of the overall plan – will also deliver nothing unless there are people there to staff them, which we know is a huge issue in social care.

“More fundamentally, many doctors remain to be convinced that the Scottish Government’s practical response matches up to the huge scale of the problems the NHS is facing. In particular, staffing shortages will only get worse as more staff burn out and dread going to work, unless there is a more comprehensive and urgent package of investment in staffing to support and retain them in our NHS for good.

“Longer term, these pressures are the culmination of the warnings the BMA and many others have delivered for some time, that Scotland’s NHS isn’t sustainable within the resources – both staffing and financial – we are willing to provide it with.

“We have to get serious about this and have a proper long term discussion about the future of our health service rather than just struggle to survive from crisis to crisis as the NHS and its staff endure the kind of perpetual pressures which in the past were reserved for the worst of winter.

“We absolutely agree with the assessment of the First Minister that there are no easy solutions, so the sooner we truly get to grips with the big picture issues, the sooner we can get away from having to implement short term measures in the desperate hope of bolstering collapsing services and begin actually start talking about an NHS fit for the future. That’s why a national conversation on the NHS in Scotland is required without delay.”

New domestic abuse powers ‘better reflect experience of victims’

Research finds extending laws to include emotional and psychological abuse has had beneficial impact

Scotland’s ground-breaking domestic abuse legislation better reflects victims’ experiences, according to new research.

By recognising abuse as a pattern of behaviour, the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 closer matches victims’ accounts of psychological and physical harm over time, according to three small scale research studies from Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Edinburgh and the Scottish Government.

Responses from 69 domestic abuse victims and witnesses also found most women felt that engaging with the criminal justice system on domestic abuse was ‘the right decision’ to take.

However, respondents also said improvements could be made to how such cases are handled to provide victims with a greater voice in proceedings and better support through the process. Other areas of improvement included making judicial processes quicker and more efficient and providing better training for justice professionals.

The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 was passed by Parliament on 1 February 2018 and was brought into force in April 2019.

The Scottish Government published, in February 2022, the Vision for Justice, which set out that urgent action is required to ensure women and children are better served by Scotland’s justice system.

Measures that have already been taken include:

  • establishing a Victim-Centred Approach Fund, awarding £48m to provide practical and emotional support to victims, including £18.5m for specialist advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence
  • establishing a £53.2m Justice Recovery Fund, including £26.5m for courts, helping reduce the case backlog by 13,000 between January and November 2022
  • funding the Caledonian System, a programme which seeks to change the behaviour of domestically abusive men
  • increasing use of Police Scotland’s Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse, helping to safeguard more people who have been harmed or are at risk

The Scottish Government also intends to introduce a Criminal Justice Reform Bill this year to bring forward recommendations from Lady Dorrian’s review on improving the management of sexual offence cases – including introducing a statutory right to anonymity for victims of sexual offences. The Bill will also abolish the ‘not proven’ verdict.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “I know it takes incredible courage for those who suffer domestic abuse to come forward and I am grateful to everyone who took part in this research. We are committed to putting victims at the heart of Scotland’s justice system and the purpose of this work is to use their experiences to make improvements for all.

“I am absolutely resolute that we must treat all domestic abuse victims appropriately and with compassion – the vast majority of whom are women.

“We are already making significant improvements and it is very encouraging that this report found our new laws have better reflected victims’ experiences.

“Given that domestic abuse is an under-reported and often hidden crime, it is also very positive that women who suffered such crimes reported that their engagement with the justice system was the right thing to do.”

One of the report authors, Claire Houghton from the University of Edinburgh said:  “It is reassuring that victims and witnesses welcomed the expanded scope of the domestic abuse law.

“However, our study found that it has yet to reach its potential – adult and child victims and witnesses are still experiencing trauma and delays within the justice system and perpetrators are not adequately held to account for the harm to the whole family.

“We look forward to working with our justice partners, alongside victims and witnesses of domestic abuse, to improve people’s experiences of the system and support the vital work of specialist agencies.”

Assistant Chief Constable Bex Smith said: “This legislation was a significant step change in how Scotland’s criminal justice system deals with the full range of abusive behaviour.

“Every officer in our service has been trained, and new recruits are trained, to identify these behaviours and to apply Domestic Abuse Scotland Act.

“Every instance of domestic abuse is unique and we seek to tailor our response to the needs of the victims, including children who often witness abuse.

“We know we don’t always get it right, but we are listening and we recognise how crucial hearing the experience of victims is in helping us improve our response and deliver a service that meets their needs.”

Read the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, Interim Reporting Requirement

domestic-abuse-scotland-act-2018-interim-reporting-requirementDownload

Friends of the Earth: Energy strategy must set end date for oil and gas

Ahead of the publication today of the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, environmental campaigners have called for Ministers to set an end date for fossil fuels and chart a just and clear path to a renewable powered future.

The plans will be revealed as continued burning of fossil fuels worsens the climate emergency and 2022 was officially declared Scotland’s hottest ever year. The United Nations warned in October that the world was on course for a catastrophic 2.8C of climate warming by the end of this century.

Oil companies declared tens of billions in profits in 2022 as millions of households struggled to pay their energy bills. Campaigners say that the Scottish Government must reduce overall energy demand through mass home insulation and public transport investment and ensure that our remaining energy needs are met with reliable, affordable renewables instead.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of campaigns Mary Church said: “The new Energy Strategy must chart a just and clear path away from our broken fossil fuel energy system that is hurting people and the planet, and transition Scotland to a climate-safe future with clean, affordable renewable energy for all.

“This is a crucial decade for action on the climate crisis so Ministers must ensure that the plan sets an end date for fossil fuels and commits to phasing out oil and gas.

“Through a mass rollout of  home insulation and boosting public transport we can reduce our overall demand for energy, improve people’s lives and help tackle the cost of living crisis.

“The Scottish Government must reject the dodgy technology of carbon capture and storage and fossil hydrogen which is being pushed by the profiteering oil and gas industry who want to keep us locked into this harmful system. By putting workers and communities at the heart of planning the transition to renewables we can ensure that we create a fairer, healthier Scotland that can meet its climate commitments.”

Energy strategy to shape next 25 years of energy production

There is a clear imperative to accelerate the clean energy transition and reduce Scotland’s dependence on oil and gas, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said ahead of the publication of a new strategy for the energy sector.

The draft Energy Strategy, being published for consultation on Tuesday 10 January, will set out the Scottish Government’s policies on domestic production of energy, alongside a plan to reduce demand and build a resilient and secure future net zero energy system.

Also published will be the first Just Transition Plan to ensure that, as the energy sector grows and changes, it benefits citizens, workers and communities.

It provides a route map of actions, with a particular focus out to 2030, for the Scottish and UK Governments and is central to meeting Scotland’s climate change targets, as well as boosting jobs and improving wellbeing.

Speaking ahead of a visit to energy technology research and test site, PNDC, in Cumbernauld, the First Minister said: “The imperative is clear. In this decade we must set Scotland on the path to an energy system that meets the challenge of becoming a net zero nation by 2045, that supplies safe, secure and affordable energy for all and that generates economic opportunity through a just transition.

“The current energy crisis has demonstrated how vulnerable our energy system is to international price shocks, while laying bare the need for structural reform to ensure affordability for consumers.

“This strategy will shape the next 25 years of energy production in Scotland. It provides an independent assessment of the future of the North Sea and shows that as we reduce Scotland’s dependence on oil and gas – as both generators and consumers – there is a huge environmental and economic opportunity to be seized.

“Scotland is already at the forefront of the clean energy transition and our green jobs revolution is underway. By continuing to make the most of our vast renewable energy resource, we can deliver a net zero energy system that also delivers a net gain in jobs within Scotland’s energy production sector.”

Health and social care crisis: Sturgeon and Sunak host emergency meetings

Clinical leaders, health experts and ministers will convene in Downing Street for an NHS Recovery Forum today. Scotland’s First Minister hosted a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Committee yesterday to discuss ongoing pressures on Scotand’s struggling health service.

In addition to his regular meetings on the health service, the Prime Minister will host the Forum to bring together experts from across the health and care sector to identify opportunities to go further and faster on improving performance and outcomes.

The Forum will major on four crucial issues: social care and delayed discharge; urgent and emergency care; elective care; and primary care.

Some of the best health and care minds in the country will use the session to share best practice and to understand whether any innovations developed at a local level could be applied to other regional areas or on a national basis.

As the Prime Minister set out in his speech earlier this week, innovation is at the heart of the UK government’s approach and will be a vital aspect of the solution, and so Forum attendees will include representatives from both the public and independent sector to ensure we’re harnessing a wide spread of expertise and talent.

The Forum is the next step in the significant action that the government has taken to improve outcomes and relieve the immediate pressures on the NHS and in social care caused by the pandemic, with further pressures due to the recent rise in covid and flu cases.

On improving capacity in the NHS, the government has provided an extra £500 million to speed up hospital discharge this winter and we’re also increasing bed capacity by the equivalent of 7,000 more beds.

The NHS is rolling out virtual wards across England, with an ambition to establish 40-50 virtual ward beds per 100k population, by December 2023. Virtual wards are where people, for example, who have acute respiratory infections can actually be treated at home with telemedicine or pulse oximeters and there is also a new fall service which can save about 55,000 ambulance call outs a year by treating people with falls at home.

In total, the government will invest up to £14.1 billion additional funding over the next two years to improve urgent and emergency care and tackle the backlog – the highest spend on health and care in any government’s history. £7.5 billion of this support is for adult social care and discharge over the next two years, which will also help deal with immediate pressures. 

91 Community Diagnostic Centres have been opened so far and they have delivered over 2.7 million tests, checks and scans to help diagnose patients earlier.

The government is also continuing to grow the NHS workforce, with around 42,000 more staff than a year ago, including over 10,500 more nurses and almost 4,700 more doctors.

The government is investing at least £1.5 billion to create an extra 50 million general practice appointments by 2024, while the NHS is accelerating the rollout of new state-of-the-art telephone systems to make it easier for patients get through to their GP surgeries.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister set out one of his key promises that NHS waiting lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly. He also pledged to make sure the NHS is built around patients.

The Forum will run for the majority of Saturday and attendees will include chief executives and clinical leaders from NHS organisations, local areas and councils from across the country, clinical experts from Royal Colleges and independent sector organisations working with health and social care services to deliver services for patients. 

The Health and Social Care Secretary, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NHS England will attend the Forum.

A Downing Street Spokesperson said: “As the Prime Minister made clear this week, easing the immediate pressures whilst also focussing on the long-term improvement of the NHS is one of his key promises.

“That’s why we’re bringing together the best minds from the health and care sectors to help share knowledge and practical solutions so that we can tackle the most crucial challenges such as delayed discharge and emergency care.

“We want to correct the unwarranted variation in NHS performance between local areas, because no matter where you live you should be able to access quality healthcare.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government resilience committee (SGoRR) to discuss the response to ongoing winter pressures on the health and social care system.

In addition to the FM, yesterday’s meeting was attended by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, other Cabinet ministers, and key partners from across the system including senior representatives from NHS Boards, COSLA, Integration Joint Boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The latest situation with flu and COVID-19 infections was covered, along with the increased demands on acute sites and social care which have been experienced over the Christmas and New Year period.

A number of measures are being taken to alleviate pressures on the system, improve patient flow and ensure people receive the right care in the right setting. These include the use of Flow Navigation Centres as part of the redesign of urgent care, Hospital at Home and ambulance service staff providing treatment, where appropriate, to help avoid hospital admission.

The Health Secretary will update parliament at the earliest opportunity on ongoing work to support the system, and further resilience meetings will be held to monitor the situation in the coming days and weeks as required.

The First Minister said: “It is clear that health and social care is currently experiencing a period of intense and indeed unprecedented pressure. Staff are working exceptionally hard and have been doing so throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

“This comes after nearly three years of pandemic-related demands on the system, and we are all incredibly grateful to them for their efforts.

“I am clear that the Scottish Government must and will do everything it can to support our health and care service throughout the next few weeks. We remain in daily contact with Health Boards and there is already a huge amount of work being done, but we will leave no stone unturned to explore and implement any additional measures that could be taken to help alleviate pressures.

“With that in mind we will continue to work with all partners to implement actions that can help ensure the workforce is supported to deliver the high standards of care that we want everyone to receive.

“This will include actions to reduce unnecessary attendances at A&E – ensuring people get care in more appropriate settings, and those who need hospital care get it quickly, and also on effective discharge arrangements to reduce pressure on hospital occupancy. My thanks go to all those working incredibly hard across the whole health and care system during this period of exceptional pressure.”

Scots urged to make sure they are not missing out on benefits

Money may be available to help get through the cost of living crisis

People are being encouraged to check they are not missing out on money and to find out if they could be eligible for any of the 12 benefits administered by Social Security Scotland. Seven of these are only available in Scotland.

The benefits which have been introduced over the past four years are available to people on low incomes responsible for children under 16, for people who need help paying for a funeral, disabled people, carers, young people entering the workplace and to help heat their homes.

Four of these payments are made automatically to people who get other qualifying benefits. To make sure people are maximising their income they should check what DWP benefits they could be eligible for too.

Payments made automatically include Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Child Winter Heating Payment as well as Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and Best Start Grant School Age Payment for those in receipt of Scottish Child Payment.

In addition, the new Winter Heating Payment will be paid automatically to an expected 400,000 people across Scotland when it is introduced in February.  

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “January is traditionally a month where people find it harder financially than the rest of the year. This pressure can be more acute for people on low incomes or who face additional costs due to a disability or ill-health condition. The cost of living crisis also means that people are facing difficult financial decisions day in and day out.

“We are committed to making sure that people are getting all of the money that they are entitled to. That is why we are making payments automatically where we can. Where people need to apply, we are working hard to promote these payments and make the process of accessing them as straightforward as possible.

“Social Security Scotland works with partners and through advertising to promote our benefits and our next campaign will start this month to encourage parents and carers to apply for Scottish Child Payment.

“People can apply for all our benefits online, by phone, through the post or in person – whatever works best for them. We’ve designed the way we promote and deliver these benefits with the people who they are for to make sure that what we do works for them.

“We want people to talk with others they know about the support that is available. These payments are a shared investment in building a fairer society and no one should think twice about accessing what they are entitled to. Please look into what is available and apply if you think you could be eligible.”

  • Eligible families, and carers can find out more and apply for social security payments at scot/benefits or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222
  • The Scottish Government’s Cost Of Living website provides information and support for people who need urgent help with money, food or fuel scot/costoflivingsupport

New Year, new round of school strikes

INDUSTRIAL ACTION IN SCHOOLS NEXT WEEK

Industrial action in schools next week: all primaries closed on Tuesday 10 January, all secondaries closed on Wednesday 11 January, special schools are also affected.

Full details incl. nurseries and free school meal payments here:

https://edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/15311/school-closures—letter-to-parents-and-carers

The EIS has said that the New Year’s resolution for both the Scottish Government and COSLA must be to pay Scotland’s teachers fairly by coming back with a greatly improved pay offer.

Scotland’s teachers have not received a pay rise for the year 2022, despite being due for a pay increase in April.

Commenting as schools broke up for the Christmas holidays, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “As 2022 comes to a close, Scotland’s teachers are still waiting for a pay settlement that should have been paid to them in April. What Scotland’s teachers have been offered by the Scottish Government and COSLA amounts to a record real-terms pay cut of up to 11% in a single year.

“This is in the context of the value of teachers’ pay dropping by a massive 20% since 2008. It is little wonder that teachers voted so overwhelmingly for strike action, and remain determined to stand firm against the unprecedented pay cuts that have been offered.”

Ms Bradley continued, “Having taken one day of strike action in November, EIS members will resume a programme of strike action in the New Year. We have offered every opportunity to the Scottish Government and COSLA to settle this dispute, but they have stubbornly failed to take advantage of those opportunities.

“Reheating old offers and repeating tired spin is not going to fool Scotland’s teachers, and it is not going to resolve this dispute or end the ongoing programme of strike action. Neither teachers nor the public believe the claims that Scottish teachers are better paid than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK and internationally – in England the top of the pay scale is higher than in Scotland, and 14 OECD countries sit above Scotland on the league table of teachers’ pay.

“The only OECD league table on teachers’ conditions that Scotland has climbed is the one which quite shockingly shows that Scotland has the third worst record in the world when it comes to excessive class contact hours.

“Rather than Scottish Government spin, only a substantially improved, fair and credible offer can end this dispute and let teachers focus fully on teaching young people rather than having to fight for a fair wage.”

Ms Bradley added, “The Scottish Government and COSLA must do better. They owe it to Scotland’s teachers – the majority of them women – and Scotland’s pupils to end this dispute by committing to pay Scotland’s teachers a fair pay increase. This is about pay justice and gender pay justice.

“Teachers worked tirelessly as key workers throughout the pandemic, often putting their own health at risk to ensure the best possible education for Scotland’s young people amidst very difficult circumstances. Now, in the early stages of education recovery, teachers want to be in the classroom supporting pupils. But, as the cost-of-living soars, teachers deserve and expect an appropriate increase in their pay – not a deep real-terms pay cut, as they have consistently been offered.

“Education must be a top priority for government and for local authorities, and that means investing in Education, including investing in teachers, to ensure the best possible educational experience for all of Scotland’s young people.

“Scotland has a stated commitment to reducing the gender pay gap and to being a Fair Work nation by 2025. Having made these commitments and as the new year dawns, it has to be time for the Scottish Government and COSLA to resolve to offer a fair pay settlement to all of Scotland’s teachers.”

Letter_to_Parents_and_Carers_4Jan23Download

Scottish Government: Supporting home ownership this new year

First-time buyers and others on low to medium incomes are being encouraged to take advantage of the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme to help buy a home in 2023.

The scheme allows people to buy a home without having to fund its entire cost and is available across Scotland to these people who face particular barriers to the housing market:

  • people aged 60 and over
  • first time buyers
  • social renters (people who rent from the council or a housing association)
  • disabled people
  • members of the armed forces
  • veterans who have left the armed forces within the past two years
  • widows, widowers and other bereaved partners of service personnel for up to two years after their partner has lost their life while serving

Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “We recognise the challenges people are facing in this cost of living crisis and we want to help as many people as possible to buy an affordable home this new year.

“This scheme puts applicants on a more level playing field with other buyers when purchasing an affordable home. Buyers can purchase a share of a property while holding the full title, with the Scottish Government funding the remaining share under a shared equity agreement.

“Scotland continues to be a great place to buy a first home and has led the way in the delivery of affordable housing across the UK. We have now delivered almost 113,000 affordable homes since 2007, over 79,000 of which were for social rent.

“If you’re from one of the priority groups and would like to own a home, I’d encourage you to consider the Open Market Shared Equity scheme.”

Open Market Shared Equity scheme

open-market-shared-equity-scheme-buyer-information-leafletDownload

To Boldly Go: Supporting Scotland’s sky-high space ambitions

International experts form new committee

Scotland’s ambition to become Europe’s leading space nation by 2030 is being given a boost under the guidance of a group of global experts from the space industry.

The Scotland International Space Advisory Committee (SISAC) consists of members of the Scottish Government’s GlobalScot programme – a network of Scots in business around the world – who have come together voluntarily to provide advice and identify opportunities to achieve a £4 billion share of the global space market and 20,000 jobs in the sector over the next seven years.

Scotland is making huge advances in the space sector, with the first orbital launch from Scottish soil due in 2023.

Both SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland and Space Hub Sutherland – working alongside Scottish-based launch manufacturers – are months away from lift off. Space Hub Sutherland will host launches by owners Orbex from next year.

SaxaVord Spaceport will offer a multi-pad, multi-user, launch facility with multiple launch partners, including Scottish-based Skyrora which has developed its own eco-friendly fuel, Ecosene, made of waste plastics.

As well as its launch capabilities, Scotland is also world leading in small satellite manufacturing, with Glasgow building more satellites than any other place in Europe. Expertise in data gathering and analysis makes Scotland the data driven capital of Europe, hosting the largest centre for informatics and having more than 170 data sciences companies.

And our world class research institutions have been demonstrated, as Scottish skills and innovation played an important role in the development of the instruments on board the James Webb Space Telescope.

Business Minister Ivan McKee said: “Space brings great opportunity for Scotland in terms of the economic development it delivers, its relevance for the climate change agenda and the power it has to inspire the next generation. That is why the Scottish Government has identified it as a priority in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

“The space sector is a key opportunity for the future, and we will continue to build on our strengths. The expertise and insight offered by the members of SISAC will be hugely beneficial to our progress.

“I am grateful to the members of this new committee for volunteering to come together to help Scotland live up to its full potential in growing the space sector.”

Chair of SISAC Joanna Peters said: “It is the intent of the SISAC to help fuel and ignite a national passion toward a space-based economy by capitalising on its strong heritage of exploration, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

“Working with the GlobalScot organisation and our network of national and international leaders, we aim to develop strategic recommendations, building upon precise and transparent advocacy, influence, consultation, and development.”

Read about the Space Strategy here.

 ‘One stop shop’ website to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis

The Scottish Government has created a ‘one stop shop’ website aimed at helping people in Edinburgh who are struggling with the cost of living crisis.

The website includes guidance on the different kinds of support available, from helping families and households meet rising energy, housing and other costs, to details around accessing Scottish and UK social security payments, including online benefit calculators as well as advice around improving overall health and wellbeing.

It’s important to acknowledge the added stress that money worries can bring and the impact that this can have on your health, both mentally and physically. The website includes information on the support people can access such as the NHS24 Mental Health Hub (available by dialling 111), Breathing Space which is a confidential helpline available by calling 0800 83 85 87, and nhsinform.scot/mind-to-mind which shares advice from peers.

There is also key information around support with health costs such as eye examinations, glasses, contact lenses and dental treatments.

When it comes to families and financial support, the Scottish Government has allocated almost £3 billion in this financial year to help households face the increased cost of living, including £1bn in providing services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK.

The winter Bridging Payment has been doubled, meaning the December payment will be £260. All eligible families should make sure they are registered to receive free school meals on the basis of low income in order to receive the payment. If they register between now and end of school term they will receive the payment in January.

The Scottish Child Payment has also been increased to £25 a week which can be paid to families with children under the age of 16 who live in Scotland and qualify for certain reserved benefits. There is no limit on the number of children that families can apply for.

Cost of living crisis – Cost of Living Support Scotland (campaign.gov.scot)

Shona Robison, Social Justice Secretary, said: “I know that people are struggling with the cost of living crisis right now and may not know where to turn for help. Our cost of living website is a trustworthy online resource with information on the wide range of vital support available.

“No one should feel alone in this crisis and this website, along with our campaign, aims to encourage people to find out if they are eligible for the extensive support available to access the advice they need.

“We want everyone to get all the financial support and help that is available so I would encourage people to apply for the payments they are entitled to – it might be just the lifeline that is needed right now”.

Cost of living crisis – Cost of Living Support Scotland (campaign.gov.scot)

Brexit damage continues to mount

Two year anniversary of the end of the transition period

The people of Scotland must be given a choice about their future given the damage inflicted by Brexit, Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson has said.

Marking two years since the end of the transition period to leave the European Union after 47 years of membership, Mr Robertson highlighted the negative impacts Brexit continues to have on Scotland’s economy.

Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The damages caused by Brexit just continue to mount.

“In the two years since the end of the transition period, we have seen no advantages to leaving the European Union. The cost of living crisis and recession are being felt more deeply in the UK than anywhere else, with recent research showing food bills in the UK are £210 higher in the last two years due to Brexit. Households on the lowest incomes are the hardest hit.

“The UK economy is fundamentally on the wrong path and there is no real alternative on offer within the current system.

“The Scottish Government is committed to giving the people of Scotland a choice about the future they want – a greener, wealthier and fairer economy within the European Union, or a sluggish, stagnating economy outside of the European Union. We will continue to publish the Building a New Scotland series of prospectus papers to ensure people can make that informed choice.

“According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, UK GDP is expected to be 4% lower as a consequence of Brexit – this equates to around £100 billion in output and £40 billion in public revenues lost each and every year. Businesses are suffering from lower exports to the EU, labour shortages and recruitment challenges. These issues are also affecting our NHS, with new research by the Nuffield Trust showing that lower EU migration is exacerbating staff shortages.

“Scotland is and always has been a proud European nation and we’re determined to continue to be an active and constructive participant on EU matters, which will ease the process of Scotland’s future return to the EU.

“This is in stark contrast to the approach being taken by the UK Government, intent on undermining retained EU law which will be hugely damaging to people and businesses in Scotland.”

Building a New Scotland