Bridging Payments were first introduced in 2021 ahead of the extension of the Scottish Child Payment to 6–15-year-olds. The final quarterly Bridging Payment will now be doubled from £130 to £260.
RCPCH Registrar and consultant paediatrician in Aberdeen, Professor Stephen Turner said:
We are pleased that First Minister has listened to calls to double the final Bridging Payment for eligible families. We have repeatedly called for this through our work on health inequalities and via an open letter to the First Minister co-ordinated by the End Child Poverty coalition.
The cost-of-living crisis this winter has created a perfect storm where health inequalities are being widened. The additional £130 payment will provide welcome relief to families on the lowest incomes.
We now ask the Scottish Government to action all measures within the Child Poverty Act, ensuring these actions are appropriately resourced and funded, enabling the interim (2023/24) targets, as well as the 2030 child poverty targets, to be met on time.