Question reference: S6W-21286
- Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 12 September 2023
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 September 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Parental Transition Fund.
Answer
As set out in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan: Progress Report 2022-23 , the Scottish Government has reviewed existing evidence and engaged with stakeholders in order to understand the challenges to be addressed through a Parental Transition Fund.
This has informed exploration of what support it is possible to deliver using powers available to the Scottish Government, however as a result of the devolved settlement and the Scottish Government’s powers, along with the interaction with reserved tax and benefits, it is not possible to deliver the Parental Transition Fund as originally envisaged.
The Scottish Government remain fully committed to delivering on the ambition of the Parental Transition Fund and to tackling the financial insecurity faced by families when parents and carers enter employment. Working together with partners, we will continue to take action to improve uptake of existing supports and to further strengthen the help available through devolved employability services. Through these actions we will leverage existing investment to tackle child poverty by supporting more parents and carers into sustainable fair work.