Budgets reflect the choices and priorities of our Governments. Our political leaders have a responsibility to use them to build an economy and society in which all people the income necessary to live in decency and dignity.
In October 2025, thousands of people from across Scotland took to the streets of Edinburgh in the Scotland Demands Better campaign march and rally, the largest anti-poverty demonstration our country has seen in decades.
They stood together to demand that politicians build a Scotland free from poverty, creating the conditions for better jobs, better investment in life’s essentials and vitally, better social security.
In this briefing, we set out how MSPs can build a better future for Scotland’s children:
Hospital violence charity among 19 to share in £1 million fund
Medics Against Violence (MAV), a charity operating across 10 hospital Emergency Departments, is among 19 organisations to receive a share of more than £1 million from the Victim Surcharge Fund, which is financed by penalties imposed on offenders who received a court fine.
The funding will support MAV to offer practical assistance and essential items to people arriving at hospital after experiencing violence or exploitation. It will also enhance the charity’s Navigator programmes, which support people to make positive changes and connect them with community organisations.
This is the sixth round of payments from the Victim Surcharge Fund – which was established in November 2019 to provide practical help directly to victims of crime. This takes the total awarded to date from the Fund to £3,486,972.
Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown announced the latest funding allocation as she visited MAV’s Glasgow headquarters to learn more about its work.Ms Brown said: “It is only right that the people who commit crimes contribute towards helping victims and their families recover from trauma.
“I am pleased that since the first awards were made in January 2021, the fund has helped more than 7,000 people affected by crime, distributing almost £3.5 million in support to organisations that support victims of crime.
“The Victim Surcharge Fund allows organisations such as Medics Against Violence to respond quickly and compassionately by providing practical, immediate help to victims of crime when they need it most.”
David Duncan, Chief Executive Officer at Medics Against Violence, added: “Support from the Scottish Government’s Victim Surcharge Fund will be used directly to strengthen the help we provide to victims of crime through our Navigator programmes.
“This investment enables us to offer immediate practical assistance to people arriving in hospital after experiencing violence or exploitation, short‑term wellbeing support in the days that follow, and specialist, age‑appropriate care for children and young people who have been harmed.
“It also allows our Navigators to work alongside victims as they regain stability -advocating for access to housing, mental health services, financial advice, and community support.
“By reducing barriers for those who may feel isolated, frightened, or unsure where to turn, this funding ensures we can respond quickly, compassionately, and in a trauma‑informed way at the moments when victims of crime are most vulnerable. It makes a tangible difference to safety, recovery, and long‑term wellbeing.”
Debbie Adams, Director of Development and External Affairs at Victim Support Scotland, said: “We are extremely grateful to be recipients of the Scottish Government’s Victim Surcharge Fund. The VSF ensures that the fines received by offenders go directly towards helping people impacted by crime.
“In Victim Support Scotland’s case, the VSF goes towards our Emergency Assistance Fund (EAF), which provides a lifeline for people who are in urgent need of financial help as a result of a crime. It can provide life-essential things like emergency household goods, groceries, travel to a place of safety, costs to repair damaged items, and security equipment.
“In 2024-25, the EAF distributed £538,974 worth of funds to people in need. One EAF recipient said that the items they received enabled them to “safeguard our household“, highlighting how it can help people take back control after experiencing crime. This funding will enable us to provide ongoing direct, immediate assistance for those in urgent need.”
Investment creating jobs and providing for communities
Scotland’s Displaced Workers Scheme signals the type of country the government is working to create, according to First Minister John Swinney.
The £500,000 scheme is helping employers recruit international workers who are already in the UK and find themselves without sponsored employment. It also mitigates the loss of international recruitment caused by changes to the UK immigration system.
Ahead of publication of the draft Scottish Budget 2026-27 tomorrow, the First Minister announced that the fund is reopening for applications following positive feedback from providers.
The First Minister met internationally recruited social care employees during a visit to health and social care charity Quarriers.
He said: “The UK Government’s decision to close the adult social care visa route to new overseas applications means this vital sector faces significant recruitment challenges during a time of great need.
“I have heard how our Displaced Workers Scheme is enabling more people to continue to build lives and livelihoods in a welcoming and open Scotland. It signals the type of country we are working to create – one with kindness and fairness at its heart – and ensures we can continue making a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable.
“We have already received 138 expressions of interest in the scheme, with positions expected to be filled over this month and next. But we want many more employers and workers to benefit, so we are reopening the fund and I would urge all eligible social care providers to express an interest in applying.
“This innovative scheme is just one example of how we are increasing capacity and relieving pressure within our health and social care system. This kind of delivery is what the people of Scotland can expect from the government’s Budget for 2026-27, which the Finance Secretary will set out tomorrow. The Scottish Budget will be firmly focused on my priorities: delivering strong and sustainable public services, growing the economy and supporting families.”
Alastair Dickson, Director of People and Wellbeing at Quarriers, said: “We were pleased to welcome the First Minister to our service in Cowdenbeath to meet international care workers and hear directly about their significant contribution to Quarriers. As an employer sponsor, this aligns with our priorities of investment, innovation, and inclusion to strengthen services and support a stable workforce.
“Quarriers is grateful for support through the Displaced Worker Scheme. It is a practical, targeted measure that helps employers like us meet the additional costs of recruiting workers who are already in the UK but have lost sponsorship through no fault of their own. This helps protect continuity of care and workforce capacity.”
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) met again yesterday as agencies continue to deal with the impact of sustained cold and wintry weather across much of northern Scotland and other parts of the country.
The Met Office has issued a number of weather warnings covering much of Scotland, including an Amber warning for snow in parts of central and north-east Scotland – valid from 3 am to 2 pm on Sunday – with a complex mix of snow, heavy rain, strong winds and possibly freezing rain due to mark an end to the cold spell in place since the start of the year.
Several Yellow rain warnings have been issued for western, northern Scotland and southwest Scotland, highlighting some risks of flooding, including in those areas further north where rainfall combines with snow melt. Wind will also become a factor, with a wind Yellow warning in place for much of the country for most of Sunday. SEPA has also issuing regional flood alerts.
The forecast conditions are expected to impact both road and rail networks, with the potential for challenging driving conditions and route closures, as well as delays and service cancellations.
More widely, there is a possibility of power cuts and a potential risk to life and property. People and communities should consider travel plans and take action to minimise these risks. There is a high risk of disruption in particular in snow amber areas and drivers are advised to follow police advice on the conditions.
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice & Home Affairs Angela Constance chaired the latest SGoRR meeting, attended by the First Minister as well as agencies including the Met Office, SEPA, police, local authorities, resilience partnerships, transport and utilities companies.
Ms Constance said: “At today’s SGoRR meeting the Met Office advised partners how we are facing a complicated multi-hazard event, affecting various parts of the country in different ways and at different times over Sunday and into Monday.It involves various combinations of continued snowfall, milder conditions leading to snowmelt, and with heavy rain in some areas leading to a flooding risk from Sunday afternoon.
“Given that complexity I was reassured to hear how partners remain stood up and are working tirelessly across the weekend to continue supporting communities and to respond as the conditions and the nature of the hazards change.
“I am grateful for the work of partners, from frontline responders and agencies to contractors, voluntary groups and individuals who have worked so hard to respond to the impacts of this prolonged period of heavy snowfall and other wintry weather.
“The sustained nature of this weather event, and the different elements of it, are clearly very challenging for communities and responders alike, given the difficulties already caused by the weather since the start of the year.
“As ever, I would encourage people to follow the advice for their local area provided by key agencies, online and on social media, including from the Met Office, SEPA and Police Scotland and to plan ahead for the coming days.”
Follow Traffic Scotland for the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts. Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online.
To report a power cut or damage to electricity power lines or substations call the SP Networks national Freephone number 105. More information on what to do during a storm can also be found on SP Energy Website.
Law change will give social landlords greater control to transfer tenancies from abusers to victims
Regulations have been laid in Parliament that will make it easier for victims of domestic abuse to remain safely in their homes with the tenancy in their name.
For the first time social landlords, rather than the victims themselves, will be allowed to take legal action to end an abuser’s tenancy.
Subject to Parliament’s approval the regulations will bring Part 2 of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 into force.
This will mean that from 1 August 2026, where conditions set out in the new law are met, social landlords will be able to apply for a court order to enable them to transfer a tenancy from an abusive tenant to their victim.
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Domestic abuse must be eradicated from our society and as Housing Secretary I am determined to protect the housing rights of women and children.
“No one should have to choose between their safety and their home. These new regulations will give social landlords new powers to protect victims of domestic abuse and hold perpetrators to account.
“By allowing social landlords to take action on behalf of victims, we are removing a significant barrier that has forced too many people to flee their homes to escape abuse. Now, the perpetrator can be made to leave – not leaving this to the victim or survivor.
“This is an important step in our commitment to tackling domestic abuse and to supporting those affected by it to rebuild their lives.”
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Scottish Women’s Aid CEO Dr Marsha Scott said: “We welcome the change in the law, which we have been campaigning for.
“Housing is one of the main challenges women face when ending a relationship with an abusive partner and keeping a roof over the heads of their family and avoiding homelessness are critical pressures.
Not all can stay in their own homes safely, which is why refuge provision is so important, but for the many who could, this regulatory change will bring much-needed reform.
“This change should enable women and their children to stay in their home, their schools and the area where they often have a support network and moves the consequences of abuse where they belong – the abuser.”
In November the Scottish Government published a new draft Climate Change Plan, a critically important document which should explain how it plans to reduce emissions across all parts of the economy and society.
But it doesn’t contain the ambitious, fair action we need to tackle the climate crisis and deliver real benefits to our lives. We need your help to put pressure on the Scottish Government to improve it.
A proper climate plan should contain full details of the steps that will be taken to stop damaging the climate and to make our homes warmer, improve buses, trains and cycling, and enable us all to access healthy, sustainable food. It shouldn’t rely on unproven, expensive technologies to capture emissions that aren’t currently working at scale anywhere in the world.
You can answer as few or as many questions as you like, you don’t need to be a technical expert. What is valuable is for you to share your experiences and and what climate action would benefit your household and community.
Sending an email allows you to write what you care about without being constrained by the consultation questions and to make your MSP aware of your concerns.
If you are part of climate action happening in your community, explain what you are doing and how the government could support this.
What sort of action needs to be in the Climate Change Plan to make a real difference to the climate, your life, your local community, and to people around the world. For example, action to help make your home warmer and bills lower, public transport easier to use, or access to local, healthy food.
Don’t worry if you’ve not been able to read the draft Climate Change Plan – it’s just important that you share your views on climate action.
2. It’s essential that you complete this form and attach it to the email, to make sure your views are taken into account.
3. You could include your MSPs in the email so they are aware of the climate action you want to see – you can find their email addresses by clicking ‘find MSPs by postcode’ here. You could also ask them for a meeting to discuss the issues you are raising.
Thank you for taking part – public pressure has forced politicians to deliver more ambitious climate action in the past, and this is a critical moment to do so again.
Unions consider revised pay and contract reform offer
Resident Doctors have called off proposed strike action across Scotland after the British Medical Association (BMA) Scottish Resident Doctors Committee agreed to ballot members on an offer of 4.25% in 2025-26 and 3.75% in 2026-27.
The committee is recommending that their members accept the two-year pay deal offered by the Scottish Government – that matches one already accepted by nurses and other healthcare staff – alongside a separate package of contractual reform.
The combined offer will see an 8.16% cumulative pay uplift over two years and an additional investment in contractual reform over the same period.
The total investment in the offer for both pay and contract reform over the two-year period will be £133 million. The BMA will now consult their members on the deal with planned industrial action on 13 January no longer going ahead.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “It is great news that we have reached an agreement that has allowed next week’s industrial action to be halted.
“This avoids the cancelled operations and disruption to patient care that no one, including resident doctors, wanted to see. Days of intensive and constructive talks have got us here and I thank the BMA, and my team, for getting us to this point.
“The combined offer will see the same pay deal which nurses and NHS support staff agreed. It also includes additional investment in contractual reform over the same period, providing a total investment of £133 million over this time.
“It further underlines our commitment to the 2023 pay and contract reform agreement. I hope Resident Doctors will now vote to accept.”
On Tuesday 13 January, the Scottish budget will be announced.
Right now, unpaid carers and local carer organisations are under huge pressure. Cuts to services mean carers are caring for longer and more intensively, often while living in poverty.
This cannot continue.
The National Carer Organisations are calling on the Scottish Government to:
Provide secure, long‑term funding for local carer organisations
Properly fund the Right to a Break so carers can take time to rest
Take real action to reduce carer poverty and improve health and wellbeing
Read the statement from the National Carer Organisations in full:
National Carer Organisation’s Statement on the Scottish Budget
The Scottish Budget will be announced on Tuesday 13th January 2026. Unpaid carers and local carer organisations are facing considerable challenges as the pressure on our health and social care system mounts.
Cuts to budgets and services mean more unpaid carers are caring for longer and more intensively, often while living in poverty.
The National Carer Organisations urge the Scottish Government to ensure the upcoming budget provides secure and sufficient funding to support both unpaid carers and local carer organisations. This support must include sufficient funding to support the implementation of the right to a break, as well as targeted measures to alleviate poverty and improve health and wellbeing.
Unpaid carers, including young carers, encounter a range of complex and diverse challenges that affect many aspects of their lives. The estimated value of unpaid care in Scotland is £15.9 billion annually. It is imperative that no unpaid carer experiences poverty due to their caring responsibilities.
The National Carer Organisations believe that the Scottish Government has a significant opportunity through the Scottish Budget to take decisive action, reinforce its commitment to recognising unpaid carers, and address some of the primary challenges they face.
We are calling on the Scottish Government in its budget to:
Invest to ensure unpaid carers can have a break from caring, including in developing the Right to a Break from Caring and by increasing voluntary sector short break funding.
Invest in support for unpaid carers by sustaining local carer organisations, in particular compensating for the extra costs they face from increased employer National Insurance Contributions and the forthcoming rise in the Real Living Wage from April 2026.
Invest in reducing poverty amongst unpaid carers and those they care for by delivering on commitments to improve Carer Support Payment, introducing a new payment for older adult unpaid carers, and making meaningful progress towards abolishing social care charges.
About the National Care Organisations
The National Carer Organisations in Scotland are Carers Trust Scotland, Carers Scotland, Coalition of Carers in Scotland, MECOPP, Shared Care Scotland and the Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance.
Together we have a shared vision that all Scotland’s unpaid carers will feel valued, included and supported as equal partners in the provision of care. We aim to achieve this through the representation of unpaid carers and giving them a voice at a national level.
We believe we can deliver more for unpaid carers by working together to share our knowledge and experience, and by focusing our collective efforts on achieving improvements in areas of policy and practice that are of greatest concern to unpaid carers.
Two-child limit mitigation funding for 2025-26 reinvested to tackle child poverty
More support will be available to families and households to help cover the cost of life’s essentials and to deal with emergencies.
First Minister John Swinney has confirmed that £10 million originally earmarked in 2025-26 to support the two-child limit mitigation payment in Scotland will be reallocated to tackling child poverty.
The majority of the funding will be split between charities and government programmes that provide emergency financial support, including:
£5.5 million additional funding for the Scottish Welfare Fund. The fund is administered by local authorities and provides people on low incomes with emergency grants if they are facing crisis, homelessness or other housing or caring challenges
An additional £0.55 million for Aberlour Children’s Charity and £1.5 million for Children First to provide extra emergency support to families in crisis
£1.5 million for the Corra Foundation to distribute additional emergency funds via local organisations
A further £1 million will support various strands of the Scottish Government’s national Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-2026, including parental employability schemes, funding to support women back into the workforce, additional investment into the King’s Trust’s NHS employability programmes, and targeted support for households experiencing homelessness.
Visiting children’s charity Children First, First Minister John Swinney said: “When I became First Minister, I said that I will pursue priorities that will make Scotland the best our country can be, and the most important priority that I have pursued in government has been that of eradicating child poverty.
“We have made progress. Scotland is the only part of the UK where relative child poverty rates fell in the last year. Our investment in a more dignified and generous social security system, funded childcare, free school meals and free bus travel for under-22s is putting more money in families’ pockets.
“However, as we start 2026, there are still far too many children in Scotland growing up hungry, or cold, and unable to reach their full potential. That is unacceptable.
“Today’s announcement will provide some immediate short-term relief for individuals and families facing the most challenging of circumstances. Our local authorities and charities have well-established means of getting support out quickly to people in need.
“Next week we will set out in more detail our intention to put tackling child poverty at the heart of the next Scottish Budget and I look forward to unveiling landmark interventions to drive this work forward.”
Chief Executive of Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, Mary Glasgow said: “These funds from the Scottish Government will allow Children First to offer life changing and immediate support to thousands of children as part of the national mission to eradicate child poverty.
“Through our national support line we will be able to reach more children and families to offer the financial, practical and emotional support they need to improve their circumstances and tackle the hardships they face in the short and longer term.
“Any family in Scotland in need of help can contact Children First’s friendly, specialist support line team 365 days a year by calling 08000 28 22 33 or starting a web chat at www.childrenfirst.org.uk/supportline.”
Chief Executive of Aberlour Justina Murray said: “Aberlour is delighted to receive this funding boost from the Scottish Government for our Urgent Assistance Fund.
“We know that families living in poverty particularly struggle with the cost of living during the winter months, with the post-Christmas period particularly challenging and often very bleak.
“This additional funding will be used to provide emergency cash grants via our UAF to families in desperate need for essentials like heating, food, warm clothing and bedding.
“This generous contribution by the Scottish Government will ensure that around 1,660 families living in poverty will have the basic essentials they need this winter such as food on the table, adequate clothing for their children and a warm home at night.”
The Scottish Welfare Fund is made up of two different grants (Crisis Grant and Community Care Grant) which can be applied for through your local authority and do not need to be paid back.
To apply for a grant from the Scottish Welfare Fund you must be 16 or older and on a low income or getting certain benefits.
New legislation has been published that will give councils more choice in how they design and apply a visitor levy to raise funds for local tourist services.
While local authorities currently have the power to apply a charge on overnight stays based on a percentage of accommodation costs, the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill proposes giving councils additional powers to set the levy as a fixed amount.
If passed by Parliament, the legislation will also allow councils to set a range of fixed amounts, such as for different geographical locations, times of year or types of accommodation.
In addition, the Bill clarifies how accommodation providers should report to councils and how levies are applied to sales made through third parties such as travel agents.
Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: “When we introduced the original visitor levy legislation, we wanted to empower councils to implement a scheme that was right for their areas and easy to understand for local businesses.
“We worked closely with councils and tourism bodies when the original legislation was considered and passed by Parliament. These new proposals will give councils even more flexibility and provide clarity to businesses.
“We want to ensure visitor levies are an effective option for councils who choose to introduce them to boost investment in local economies and services.”
Fiona Campbell MBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers and Vice Chair of Scottish Tourism Alliance Policy Group, said:“The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers warmly welcomes the introduction of the Scottish Government’s Visitor Levy (Amendment) Bill.
“The commitment to introduce much-needed legislative changes in the current parliamentary timetable is an important recognition of the urgency of the situation and the continuing complexities that a percentage-based model presents for Scotland’s valuable accommodation sector.
“If passed, this legislation will give local councils greater flexibility and choice by allowing them to set the levy as a fixed amount. This is a pragmatic change that industry has pushed hard for, and it also reflects a clear cross-party desire to ensure the visitor levy is fit for purpose, proportionate and workable in practice.
“We are heartened that the Scottish Government has listened to consistent, evidence-based concerns.
“We look forward to working constructively with the government and MSPs from all parties as the Bill progresses, to help deliver a levy that boosts local tourism investment in those areas that choose to take it forward, while supporting Scotland’s vital tourism economy.
“Given that change is coming, the sector would encourage local authorities, including those who have already formally consulted on a percentage-based levy, to seriously consider opting for a simpler, more workable fixed amount charge, which will have a less damaging impact on the accommodation businesses that are the lifeblood of our local communities.”
Provide secure, long‑term funding for local carer organisations
