SNP Bo'ness council election candidate welcomes Scottish Government help to tackle cost of living crisis

The SNP candidate for Bo’ness and Blackness, Stacey Devine, has welcomed the doubling of the Scottish Child Payment and what the SNP is doing to reduce the cost of living in Scotland.

Stock photo. PA

The flagship family payment has now doubled to £20 per week per child with 104,000 children across Scotland already benefiting.

Ms Devine said: “The doubling of the Scottish Child Payment is welcomed, particularly now when families are being hit by the Tory cost of living crisis.

“The SNP Scottish Government is using the limited powers it has to give every child the best possible start in life and the Scottish Child Payment is central to that. Let’s not forget that the SNP Scottish Government has scrapped prescription charges, introduced free period products, free tuition and the baby box, which helps to reduce the cost of living for everyone who lives here."

She added: “It has also recently been shown that Scottish tax payers pay the cheapest council tax in the UK - people in band D on average pay £590 less a year than is the case in England.

"Further to this, those resident in England also have to pay for expensive water charges, prescriptions and may also have to pay tens of thousands in tuition fees, and so on. This shows that the SNP’s priorities are in the right place.

“At a time when households are faced with spiralling living costs, the Tory government has barely lifted a finger while the Scottish Government is showing what is possible with the limited powers we have. Of course, we could do so much more with the full powers of independence.

“I’m standing for election to Falkirk Council. Local authorities are responsible for implementing many of the policies I’ve mentioned.

"My promise to the voters of Bo’ness and Blackness is that I will do what I can to continue these policies, and to support further measures to reduce the cost of living in Bo’ness and Blackness.