10 ways we’re helping Scotland’s families

1.  Protecting low and middle income families from Income Tax rises. We’ve frozen the basic rate of Income Tax and we will raise the tax-free Personal Allowance to £12,750 by the end of the Parliament.

 

2. Health funding at record levels. This year health funding is over £13 billion, £3.6 billion more than when we took office.

 

3. Prescription charges abolished, ensuring there is no tax on ill health.

 

4.  Free, high quality childcare increased to 16 hours a week for all 3 and 4 year olds – up from 12.5 hours in 2007 – and extended to 2 year olds from low income households too. By 2020, we’ll increase the provision to 30 hours a week.

 

5. A Nordic-style ‘baby box’ provided to all babies in Scotland from this summer in a bid to reduce infant mortality and help families at the start of a child’s life.

 

6.  A healthy school meal for all children in primaries 1 to 3. This year over 250,000 pupils will be eligible for free school meals – helping improve their health and ability to learn.

 

7.  Free university tuition maintained, saving students in Scotland up to £27,000 compared to the cost of studying in England.

 

8. The highest house-building rate in the UK. We’ve built over 60,000 affordable homes – and we’ll build 50,000 more by March 2021.

 

9.  Around 20,000 families supported to buy their own home through home ownership schemes.

10.  Over half a million vulnerable households in Scotland – including 80,000 single parents – have been protected from Tory cuts to Council Tax benefit. From April 2017, the child allowance within the Council Tax Reduction Scheme will also be increased by 25 per cent benefiting up to 77,000 households.