Scottish Government

A package of measures worth £37.2 million has been announced by the Scottish Government to tackle poverty and inequality, in this financial year. The funding, confirmed in a Statement to Parliament by finance secretary Kate Forbes this week, will support the delivery of two key investments for

Shelter Scotland has condemned the Scottish Government for its decision to break a promise to homeless people to end the continued use of harmful and substandard temporary accommodation. The charity has said that the ongoing delay to fully implement new protections for homeless people will place a f

The Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) is rethinking a controversial proposal for a housing development in Aberdour. The owners of Hillside School are seeking to secure permission to build 125 new homes at the site off Main Street in Aberdour, which they s

Young people, those made redundant, and people who have been unemployed for a long time, will be able to access more support thanks to an additional £125 million from the Scottish Government. Announced in the latest Budget, the funding will help people impacted by the coronavirus pandemic acce

A total of 144,128 COVID Winter Hardship Payments have been made to low-income families by the Scottish Government. The payments are available to families with children receiving Free School Meals on the basis of low income, with £14.41 million given to households as part of the Scottish Gover

More than 77,000 Scottish Child Payment applications have been received since Social Security Scotland started taking applications on November 9. The new benefit, which is unique to Scotland, will give qualifying parents and carers £40 every four weeks for each child under six.

Aberdeenshire Council met and agreed Council Tax rates and housing rents across the region for the coming year today. By law, members have to set rates before March 11, allowing time for any changes to be applied from 1st April. Today at Full Council the issue of rates was discussed and set.

The Scottish Government has welcomed a call from the United Nations for urgent action to tackle deepening food insecurity, poverty and injustice in the UK. A new report sets out the actions being taken in Scotland to protect human rights and ensure access to food for people on low incomes.

The Highland Council is progressing plans for setting a budget for the coming year 2021-22. Planning can now take account of the Scottish Government’s settlement proposals, although much uncertainty remains.

The £500 Self-Isolation Support Grant is being significantly extended to more people on low incomes. The Scottish Government has announced that the grant will be available to workers earning the Real Living Wage or less, as well as those in receipt of a council tax reduction because of low inc

Adults who pay for their residential care in Scotland will be better off from April as a result of a change to the rates of allowances they receive for personal and nursing care. Those who ‘self-fund’ their residential care receive an allowance in recognition of their personal and nursin

The success of Scottish Government proposals to regulate short-term lets such as AirBnB is dependent on new funding to support implementation by planning departments, according to the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). The regulations include a mandatory licensing scheme to ensure that all s

Additional funding of £500,000 is being allocated by the Scottish Government to provide practical measures of support for health and social care staff working to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Following direct feedback from staff, this funding will support local provision of hot drinks and s

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has welcomed the report by the Social Renewal Advisory Board, which has made recommendations for a fairer and more equal Scotland as the country prepares for its post-pandemic recovery. The SFHA has called on the Scottish Government to accept th

The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee has backed the underlying intentions behind the Scottish Government’s new Domestic Abuse Bill, but warned that serious practical concerns raised during the course of its scrutiny need to be addressed. Both legal bodies and the police signalled