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MSP briefing: Scottish Budget 2026-27

Last updated: 12/01/2026

Read One Parent Families Scotland’s briefing to MSPs ahead of the Scottish Government’s 2026-27 Budget, outlining priority areas for single parent families.

OPFS is calling on for the Scottish Government to take action to support single parents families in Scotland by:

  1. Increasing the Scottish Child Payment to a minimum of £40, with targeted further increases for single parent families, families with a disabled child, and families with a baby under the age of one.
  2. Funding face-to-face support for parents using the Child Maintenance Service, where separation is complex, as part of holistic family support.
  3. Increasing funding for income-maximisation services, with targeted investment in services best able to reach priority families, including single parents.
  4. Extending free school meals to all primary school pupils and commit to introducing universal free school meals for all secondary school pupils, reducing costs and stigma for families.
  5. Increasing the value of the School Clothing Grant so that it covers the real cost of school clothing and ensure this includes auto-enrolment for families in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, along with annual inflationary uplifts in line with other Scottish social security payments.
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