Tackling poverty

An additional £7 million will be invested in the Parental Employability Support Fund this year.

This additional funding will provide intensive employability support for parents both in and out of work, helping to tackle in work poverty, and enhance links between local employability services and the expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in all 32 Local Authorities

The measures outlined in the 2020-21 draft budget will mean more than £16 million will be invested by 2022 to support low income parents address barriers to employment and to upskill while in work.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said:

“In Scotland we have set in statute our ambition to eradicate child poverty and we are taking firm action to deliver progress.

“Last week’s budget included £7 million of additional investment for the new Parental Employability Support Fund which will be delivered in partnership with local authorities across Scotland.

“This investment will deliver new and enhanced services, providing parents with tailored holistic employability support and linking with the opportunities that our massive expansion of Early Learning and Childcare bring.

“Increasing household incomes from work and earnings is one of the keys ways to effectively tackling poverty – our investment will help ensure parents can access the jobs available and progress within employment.

Background:

• the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan committed £12 million investment by 2022 in new Parental Employability Support
• a boost of £4.1 million was announced in the 2020-21 Programme for Government to enhance the alignment between employment support and expansion of Early Learning and Childcare
• these commitments mean £16.1 million will be invested by 2022, with £2.1 million invested in 2019-20 and the further £7 million committed from the draft 2020-21 Scottish Budget
• 65% of the Parental Employment Support Fund investment will be targeted to support parents who are employed on low incomes to tackle in work poverty
• 35% will support parents not yet in work to address barriers and progress towards employment
• local authorities have been invited to submit propositions for local delivery, delivering new and enhanced employability support across Scotland