Benefits introduced by the Scottish Government have helped ease the worst effects of the cost-of-living crisis on families.Research found the payments had a positive impact on recipients’ overall finances and have helped to reduce material deprivation and food insecurity for low-income families.

by bottish

13 comments

  1. > The majority of Scottish child payment and best start foods recipients agreed the payments meant they did not need food banks.

    > Those who received the best start foods grant, a pre-paid card to purchase healthy food, reported that the card enabled their families to have healthy meals more frequently.

    > Other impacts include a reduction to household debt and borrowing and more children being able to undertake extra-curricular activities such as sport, music or drama.

  2. The full report is here: [Understanding the experiences of receiving the Five Family Payments](https://natcen.ac.uk/publications/understanding-experiences-receiving-five-family-payments)

    The Findings says:

    *Note: FFP = Five Family Payments*

    > Findings
    Overall, both individually and collectively, FFP are having a positive impact on families and children.

    > * FFP are helping to reduce material deprivation by increasing child-related spending. This included providing essential items such as clothing, toys and nursery and school-related costs during key stages of a child’s development. FFP also enabled some families to afford social and educational activities, as well as occasional treats.

    > * FFP have improved the financial circumstances of low-income families, enabling them to cover essential child and household expenses and manage unexpected costs. While some families still faced financial pressure and made sacrifices to overcome financial restrictions, FFP have reduced the need for food banks and borrowing money.

    > * For most families, FFP have not influenced their work and education decisions, although some parents and carers reported FFP helped to overcome barriers to work and education by covering related costs. It has also enabled some families to reduce working hours to meet caregiving needs.

    > * FFP have positively impacted the mental and physical health and wellbeing of parents, carers, and their children. The reduction in money-related stress and anxiety improved the mental health and happiness of parents and carers. Being able to provide for their children and afford treats enhanced their relationships with their children and made them feel better as parents or carers.

  3. “But they are doing it ~~on purpose~~ deliberately!”

    Edit for the correct quote.

  4. Yeah, everyone loves free money. Not a great shock.

    Not so good from the people who get that money taken away to be given to others.

  5. I don’t like the fact that I as a single income household pay far more tax than dual income households. However, I still vote SNP solely because of the free uni and benefits.

    I just wish they could do improve growth

  6. Fucked if you dont have a family, fucked if you work, fucked if you private rent

  7. No shit.

    The big question is what would be cut to keep these payments, and others, post independence.

  8. God, a story about a government doing something good. Long may it last. Better use of money than guns or drones.

  9. Problem is it’s providing fish instead of teaching people to fish.

    I.e. if they stop tomorrow due to other budgetary pressures, people are straight back to square one. It does make me wonder if they are purposely trying to make people dependent on the state, and thus them, for election time. 

  10. But SNP bad!!! Ruining the country!! Wee Nippy! They’ve got National in their name, so they’re Nazis! It’s a cult! Creating division by making the country better and safer than anywhere else in the UK, and mitigating horrific cuts to benefits and public services just to humiliate Westminster!! Close Holyrood!!!!

    Did I do it right?

  11. So the Day Job then.

    They could do so much more with the full powers and responsibilities of an independent country.

  12. I paid £8 for a single bus ticket from Buchanan St to Hamilton yesterday. How’s about capping public transport ??

  13. glad we didn’t go independent as we would have lost the ability to pay for all these

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