Families across Scotland will receive an extra layer of emergency financial support after the Scottish Government confirmed a £10 million boost aimed at tackling child

poverty and helping households cope with rising living costs.

First Minister John Swinney announced that funding originally set aside for the two-child limit mitigation payment in 2025–26 will instead be reinvested into frontline support for families facing financial hardship. The move is intended to ensure immediate help reaches those struggling to cover essentials such as food, housing and heating, as well as families dealing with sudden crises.

The bulk of the £10 million package will be channelled into charities and public programmes that provide direct, emergency assistance.

Local authorities will receive an additional £5.5 million for the Scottish Welfare Fund, which offers crisis grants to people on low incomes experiencing emergencies, homelessness, or significant housing and caring pressures.

Several children’s charities will also see increased funding. Aberlour Children’s Charity will receive £550,000, while Children First will be allocated £1.5 million, allowing both organisations to expand emergency support for families in crisis situations.

A further £1.5 million will be distributed by the Corra Foundation, which will work with local organisations to ensure help reaches communities most in need.

The remaining £1 million will strengthen key elements of the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022–2026. This includes support for parental employability programmes, initiatives designed to help women return to work, additional investment in the King’s Trust NHS employability schemes, and targeted assistance for households experiencing homelessness.

The Scottish Government says the reallocation reflects a focus on practical, immediate action to reduce financial pressure on families while continuing longer-term efforts to lift children out of poverty across the country. Photo by Catherine Scott, Wikimedia commons.