Renfrewshire SNP chiefs have hailed record social security spending across the area.
They say communities across the arear have benefitted from high levels of spending as they recover from the "Tory made" cost of living crisis.
The Scottish Government has allocated around £23 billion for social security over the Parliamentary term.
They say a focus on supporting households facing increasing pressure reflects the SNP commitment to creating a fairer Scotland by tackling child poverty, reducing inequalities and supporting financial wellbeing in the area.
Their Resource Spending Review outlined over £23 billion worth of payments, with a total of almost £1.8 billion for the ‘game changing’ Scottish Child Payment alone. By 2026-27 the budget for Social Security Assistance will have increased by £6.3 billion.
They blame Westminster for a "real terms" cut of 5.2 per cent to the Scottish Budget - with the Holyrood government already spending almost £770 million on cost of living support, including several measures for families in Renfrewshire North and West not available elsewhere in the UK.
Measures have included doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per child per week with plans to increase it to £25 and extend it to under 16s by the end of the year, as well as investing £86m to mitigate the bedroom tax and benefit cap and support 90,00 people in their tenancies, as well as uprating eight Scottish social security payments by 6 per cent.
A brand new Low-Income Winter Heating benefit that guarantees a £50 annual payment to over 400,000 low income households will also come into play in winter 2022/23.
The Carers Allowance Supplement will support around 90,000 carers with an additional £450 a year, while all children in primaries one to five and over 140,000 eligible children and young people will have access to a free school lunch.
Holyrood SNP chiefs have also made free bus travel available for nearly half of Scotland’s population through concessionary travel and continue to make investment in areas including energy efficiency to bring down costs.
SNP MSP for Renfrewshire North and West Natalie Don said: "I am very glad to see this record investment in social security by the SNP Government, putting such a strong focus on tackling child poverty and helping households in Renfrewshire North and West who are facing severe pressures right now which seems likely to only increase for the next while.
"Many families across Renfrewshire North and West are already benefitting from support like the Scottish Child payment, a £150 council tax reduction, the Scottish Welfare Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments which mitigate Westminster’s cruel bedroom tax."
"These are policies that built on the SNP’s current efforts. They will make a real difference to people’s lives and build on long standing measures that we benefit from every day – such as free prescriptions, free university tuition, free personal care, and 1,140 hours of free early learning and childcare which will continue to be maintained.
Tom Arthur, SNP MSP for Renfrewshire South, added: "When times are tough, Governments have to make tough decisions and I’m grateful the SNP continue to focus on what matters most to people but it is acting with one hand tied behind its back as Westminster continues to inflict its cruel austerity agenda at a time when people need support the most.
“Once again, it is clear that only with the full powers of independence that we can stop spending a fixed budget on protecting households against Tory cuts and start to properly build a fairer, more equal Scotland.”
A UK government spokesperson defended their position, saying: "We recognise the challenges people are facing on the cost of living and are doing what we can to help, including spending £37bn over the next financial year to support people in the UK.
"Millions of households in most need will receive £650 to help with these pressures in two payments next month and in the autumn, while pensioners will get one off payments of £300 and those receiving disability benefits an additional £150."
The Scottish Parliament has significant welfare powers and can top up existing benefits, pay discretionary payments and create entirely new benefits in areas of devolved responsibility.
Download the FREE Renfrewshire Live app now for all the latest news, features and sport in your area. Available on both Android and Apple. Download here:smarturl.it/RenfrewLiveSocial
