Commenting on the passage of the Scottish Government’s 2024 to 2025 Budget in a vote at the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, Chair of the Poverty and Inequality Commission Professor Stephen Sinclair said:
“Unfortunately, some of the spending decisions in this budget will move Scotland further from where we need to be to reduce poverty.
“The Scottish Government has rightly prioritised Scotland’s social security safety net, but funding cuts to services that support people entering and progressing at work, alongside significant reductions to Scotland’s affordable housing programme, are just two areas where progress on reducing poverty is at risk.
“We need to see the Scottish Government, and other parties, work together to put in place the policies needed to free people from poverty and commit resources to match this ambition.”