NICOLA Sturgeon told Douglas Ross to "get off his phone" during a question in the Holyrood chamber about what support vulnerable families in Scotland would receive this winter.

The First Minister drew attention to what appeared to be a lack of interest in the issue by Ross who she earlier spotted was looking at his mobile when SNP backbencher Evelyn Tweed was speaking.

Tweed, who represents Stirling, was one the party's new intake of MSPs following the May election and a relative newcomer to First Minister's Questions.

At FMQs today she asked what engagement the Scottish Government has had, and plans it has made, with key Scottish industries to support vulnerable households this winter.

Sturgeon said her government had been talking to fuel poverty groups and referred to answers she had given to Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar earlier at FMQs.

READ MORE: WATCH: The moment Nicola Sturgeon told off Douglas Ross at FMQs

She said by the end of October her government would make available £130 support payments to 500,000 households who receive council tax reduction at a cost of £65m and had already introduced the Scottish Child Payment for lower income families.

The First Minister then went on to attack the UK Government's £20 per week cut to Universal Credit which comes into force next week.

"I don't think there has been anything quite so morally, morally indefensible as this cut to Universal Credit which is planned to take effect in a week. Taking at this time in particular £20 a week away from the most vulnerable lowest income households across the country simply cannot be defended in any way shape or form," she said.

"And I do say to the Conservatives here - if Douglas Ross wants to get off his phone for a moment while we are talking about this really serious issue - I would say to the Conservatives in this chamber please over the next few days try and get your UK Government colleagues not to do this."

Addressing a question from Sarwar earlier, the First Minister pledged that “every penny” that comes to Scotland from a new UK Government fund would go towards helping cash-strapped households facing the looming “cost-of-living crisis”.

But she insisted it was an “insult” and a “disgrace” that the UK Government was only making £500 million available via the new Household Support Fund, as she claimed the Universal Credit cut would cost families £6 billion.

Sturgeon hit out after Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said that Westminster’s “targeted Household Support Fund is here to help those vulnerable households with essential costs as we push through the last stages of our recovery from the pandemic”.

The devolved administrations will receive £79 million as a result of this, with £41 million of cash due to Scotland, according to the UK Government.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, she pledged: “Every penny of consequentials we get from that will go to support low-income families, I give that absolute commitment.”

But she also hit out: “This is an announcement from the Tory Government which is taking £6 billion pounds out of the pockets of the lowest income families through the Universal Credit cut, and is expecting praise for putting £500 million back.

“It is an absolute disgrace and an insult.”

She spoke out as Sarwar pressed her to commit to using the extra cash to increasing the winter fuel payment.

Labour has already called on the Scottish Government to boost the payment, which is between £100 and £300 depending on circumstances, by £70.

Sarwar said the money from the Household Support Fund would allow for that extra money to be given to pensioners, as well as provide “targeted support” to other vulnerable households, such as families with a disabled child.

He raised the issue as the UK Government’s furlough scheme, which helped pay people’s wages during the Covid pandemic, was brought to an end, with fears this could spark a rise in unemployment.

Meanwhile, the £20 uplift to Universal Credit is being ended, with energy bills also due to rise when the UK’s energy gap goes up from Friday.

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Sarwar told the First Minister: “This is urgent, people are facing rising costs today. Energy bills will rise tomorrow. People need help now. We can’t dither and delay when families need that reassurance.

“The Scottish Government has the power to do something about it.

Speaking after FMQs Sarwar picked up on the issues facing struggling lower-income households.

"Tomorrow the energy cap will rise by £139, meaning that many will face the choice between eating and heating this winter," he said.

"A shocking 613,000 households live in fuel poverty in Scotland, and of that over 200,000 are believed to be pensioners.

"This week we heard that Scotland had recorded the first death by starvation of an older person in a decade.

"Warms words are cold comfort if the SNP fail to act."