Our response to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2025–2026

We welcome the Scottish Government’s early publication of this year’s Programme for Government, especially its clear focus on priorities that matter deeply to the families we support: growing the economy, tackling child poverty, addressing the climate emergency, and strengthening public services. 

We’re especially encouraged by the continued commitment to eradicating child poverty – progress is being made, but more still needs to be done. We recently shared our views in response to the upcoming Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan and are committed to supporting change. 

We’re also pleased to see: 

• Funding to ease backlogs in children’s mental health support 

• £1m for holiday play schemes for disabled children 

• Clearer advice for families of children with additional needs 

• More investment in free income and debt advice 

• Extra support for carers looking after more than one person 

The recognition of the third sector’s role, and a move toward fairer, longer-term funding, is another positive step.