ALBA Party Demand Benefits are Increased at Rate of Inflation
ALBA PARTY has demanded that the UK Government do not throw the country’s benefit recipients under the bus by failing to implement a promised increase of 10%.
Fuel Poverty Campaigners and Advocates for Older People Back MacAskill Bill to Abolish Higher Standard Charges for Pre-Payment Meter Customers
Fuel poverty campaign groups Energy Action Scotland who work in Scotland and National Energy Action, who operate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Age Scotland who advocate and campaign on behalf of older people in Scotland are backing Kenny MacAskill MP’s Ten Minute Rule Energy Costs (Pre-payment Meters and Social Tariffs) Bill to abolish higher standing charges for pre-payment meter customers and to compel energy companies to introduce a social tariff as happens in other countries.
Fuel poverty – nothing has improved since our PPB.
Child poverty
ALBA believes that no child in Scotland should face a childhood blighted by poverty. Our 5-point plan will go a long way to helping, but only with true Scottish Independence will we be able to bring Scotland’s full resources to bear on the shame which is poverty in one of the richest countries in the world.
1 in 6 families have to use food banks
Let’s not forget, child poverty is family poverty. Are you ashamed of your country because 1 in 6 families have to use food banks – working people who still can’t make ends meet?
ALBA are.
Council Tax
ALBA has urged the Scottish Government to secure a Scotland-wide Council Tax freeze.
Alex Salmond managed it between 2008 and 2014 – and Scotland can afford to do it again with ALBA.
Costs of Brexit, price of inactivity
Scottish households are facing an unprecedented challenge when it comes to the cost of living.
Despite promises made by the Scottish Government, Scotland has been dragged out of the EU against our will – BREXIT is now estimated to leave every Scot £1,200 worse off.
Between 2015 & 2019 energy prices in Scotland increased by an estimated 40%. They are now set to rise by another £700 for every household which risks pushing a quarter of Scottish households into fuel poverty.
The UK Government has cut Universal Credit by £20/week.
The cost of food has been rising with many essentials now priced at more than double what they were at this time last year. These increases are set to continue.
Inflation has risen to the highest level in nearly 30 years – and is expected to hit 7% this year.
The UK Government is now increasing taxes via National Insurance payments, starting in April this year.
Many of these factors in the increasing cost of living could have been avoided, had the Scottish Government acted on the various electoral mandates for a second independence referendum. But one thing is clear, time is not on our side. The Scottish Government must act now to prevent Scottish households being plunged further into debt.