MSP backs measures to protect people facing financial hardship during coronavirus pandemic
Published date : 23 May 2020
Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP, Jenny Gilruth, has helped secure the Scottish Parliament’s unanimous support for the Scottish Government’s emergency coronavirus legislation.
The Coronavirus (Scotland) (No 2) Bill contains emergency measures to protect people facing financial hardship and to allow public services to operate effectively during the coronavirus pandemic.
Working in her ministerial capacity, Ms Gilruth was part of the team taking the government’s legislation through Parliament this week.
MSPs voted unanimously to pass the Bill on Wednesday 20 May.
Key measures in the Bill include:
an additional £5 million for Discretionary Housing Payments;
an additional £19.2 million investment in the Carer’s Allowance Supplement, which will give a one-off payment of £230.10 to around 6,080 Fife carers on a low incomes in June;
the introduction of notice to leave periods for students in purpose-built student accommodation and halls of residence; and
additional protections for those facing bankruptcy.
The Bill gives powers to Scottish Ministers to temporarily intervene and manage care home services where there is a serious risk to the life, health or wellbeing of any person in that home for any reason connected with COVID-19.
The Bill also provides Scottish Ministers with the power to introduce reductions in non-domestic rates payable during 2020-2021, and a wide range of changes necessary to support public services to continue to operate as they were intended during the pandemic.
After voting for the Bill in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Gilruth said:
“We are in the middle of an unprecedented global health and economic emergency that is impacting on all of our lives. This legislation provides time-limited measures that will further strengthen the Scottish Government’s ability to prioritise work tackling the coronavirus pandemic, and support people in Fife and across Scotland facing real hardship as a result.
“Whether it is taking action to safeguard the population’s health such as the measures relating to care homes, helping people in debt or students with accommodation costs, the Scottish Government is doing all they can to help Scotland get through this most testing of times.
“I was pleased to work across party lines in the Scottish Parliament to secure support for these important steps to support my constituents and to tackle the impact of this ongoing crisis.”
ENDS
HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE, COMMUNITY, FINANCE & ECONOMY
