UK: SNP Restore Winter Fuel Allowance, Lift Child Benefit Cap
Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced Scotland's 2025-26 budget on Wednesday, featuring a record £21B (US$ 26.7B) investment in health and social care that includes a £2B ($2.5B) funding increase for frontline NHS boards....
Facts
- Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced Scotland's 2025-26 budget on Wednesday, featuring a record £21B (US$ 26.7B) investment in health and social care that includes a £2B ($2.5B) funding increase for frontline NHS boards.[1][2]
- The Scottish government pledged to remove Westminster's two-child benefit cap by 2026, a decision Robison claimed would lift 15K children out of poverty. The SNP have also pledged to restore universal winter fuel payments for pensioners in Scotland, a policy scrapped across the UK by the new Labour government.[3][4]
- Local authorities will receive over £15B ($19.1B) in total funding, a £1B ($1.3B) increase, while the council tax freeze implemented over the past 12 months will also be lifted. Income tax rates will also remain frozen until 2026, with basic and intermediate rate thresholds increasing by 3.5% in the next financial year.[5][1]
- The budget also allocates £768M ($977M) for affordable housing, aiming to deliver more than 8K new social rent, mid-market rent, and low-cost ownership properties. Social security spending will increase by almost £800M ($1.0B) compared to 2024-25, bringing total expenditure on devolved benefits to over £6.9B ($8.8B).[6][7]
- The budget sets out how Scotland will spend the money allocated by the UK government plus taxes raised in Scotland for the upcoming year. The devolved Scottish government was given an extra £3.4B ($4.3B) for 2025-26 following UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves's own budget this October, increasing Scotland's total settlement to £47.7B ($60.6B).[8][4]
Sources: [1]STV News, [2]BBC News (a), [3]The National, [4]Sky News, [5]Daily Record, [6]BBC News (b), [7]Scottish Government and [8]Scottish Parliament Website.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by Daily Record and The Mirror. Scotland’s budget reflects a commitment to tackling inequality and supporting vulnerable communities, with significant investments in child poverty reduction, housing, and healthcare. The SNP have emphasized practical measures to uplift families and improve public services, putting pressure on Starmer and Labour to follow suit. This progressive approach contrasts with the austerity-driven policies of Westminster, showcasing the Scottish government’s focus on equity, opportunity, and a restoration of trust.
- Right narrative, as provided by telegraph.co.uk and scottishdailyexpress.co.uk. The budget exacerbates economic mismanagement by prioritizing soaring benefits spending over addressing fundamental challenges. With £800M more allocated to a benefits system that is already out of control, this budget deepens Scotland's reliance on welfare, ignoring calls to reduce high taxes that stifle growth and deter investment. Despite the UK’s highest tax rates, vital services like the NHS remain underfunded and poorly reformed, leaving Scots paying more while enduring declining public services.
