Cost of living crisis
Find out what help is available via our cost of living crisis support website.
We know that people continue to struggle with the cost of bills and life’s essentials. That is why the Scottish Government is doing what it can with its limited powers to ensure people receive the help they need.
Our Cost of Living Guarantee is delivering real savings for hard-pressed households across the country and it goes further than any package offered in the rest of the UK.
The package includes:
- continuation of free prescriptions and free eye appointments
- free bus travel for all children and young people under 22, disabled people and everyone age 60 and over
- keeping university tuition free for Scottish undergraduate students
- delivering funded childcare for all three and four year-olds, and eligible two year-olds
- free school meals for all pupils in primary one to five and special schools, as well as eligible pupils in primary six to secondary six
- Pension Age Winter Heating Payments to help pensioners stay warm over the coldest months
- permanent removal of peak rail fares for good on ScotRail services from 1 September 2025 – making everyday commutes cheaper
This package is strengthened by wider support aimed at tackling the cost of living and supporting low income households. This includes:
- delivering our five family payments, including our Scottish Child Payment, which provide unparalleled support to low income families with children
- investing in free income maximisation and debt advice designed to help people out of financial difficulty
- helping to mitigate the additional heating costs that the households of disabled children and young people face in the winter months through an annual payment of Child Winter Heating Payment
- protecting investment in the Scottish Welfare Fund to support those most in need
- giving every baby born and resident in Scotland the best start in life by providing families with a baby box filled with essential items needed in the first six months of a child’s life
- providing funding to local authorities to deliver Discretionary Housing Payments and the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, supporting people to maintain their tenancies and saving them money on their council tax liability
- continuing to invest to deliver more affordable homes for people across Scotland