£100 payment welcome but should be extended to all 6,650 care leavers

CEO of care leaver charity Jo Derrick has today welcomed the announcement from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that families on low incomes will receive a £100 payment this winter in recognition of the financial challenges posed by COVID-19.  

The payment will bring some relief to care-experienced parents but Staf has called for the Scottish Government to extend the payments to ensure all 6,650 care leavers receive the payment.  

The Independent Care Review found that care-experienced young people are one and a half times more likely to have financial difficulties and, on average, earn three quarters of the salaries of their peers. 

Staf member organisations, and the young people involved in our participation groups, have expressed concerns about mental health, social isolation, digital exclusion, food poverty and financial wellbeing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  
 
Staf CEO Jo Derrick said:  
 
“This crisis has shed new light on the economic challenges faced by care-experience children, young people and parents – the £100 payment announced by the First Minister is a welcome step towards addressing these immediate financial concerns.  
 
“It cannot be right in a country that believes our young people deserve care and love that our care-experienced young people often don’t have enough just to get by. That’s why we’re also calling on the Scottish Government to extend this lifeline payment to all of Scotland’s 6,650 care leavers.  
 
“For care leavers we know that the issues we will see this Christmas will not go away when the current crisis is resolved. Staf believes that we must be bold in developing long-term solutions to care leaver poverty – and a care leaver Universal Basic Income may be the brave solution we need.” 

 

Notes:  

Manage Cookie Preferences