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:
- 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.
- Funding face-to-face support for parents using the Child Maintenance Service, where separation is complex, as part of holistic family support.
- Increasing funding for income-maximisation services, with targeted investment in services best able to reach priority families, including single parents.
- 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.
- 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.