The Scottish Government is committed to reducing essential household costs for low income households via a range of measures, for example by: Alleviating the effects of rising energy prices, through the Energy Assistance Package and Home Energy Hotline; Working with partners through the Access and Affordability Expert Group to determine the evidence on food poverty in Scotland and to build a long term strategic programme for a stronger community food and health sector, in order to improve access to affordable and healthy food for vulnerable groups; Extending free school meal criteria to all parents in receipt of qualifying benefits; Committing to delivering an average 6000 affordable homes per year over the lifetime of this Parliament; Continuing to reduce the essential costs of living through measures such as freezing council tax, and abolishing prescription charges, and Analysing the impacts of changes to the welfare system on people in Scotland, making representations to the UK Government on these impacts, and working with stakeholders to contribute to, and influence the debate.