THE Scottish Government has confirmed households in Scotland will receive the one-off £100 energy bill payment announced in the UK Budget, but warned the support 'falls far short' of the action required.
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth confirmed the Scottish Government would ensure households north of the Border benefit from the one-off payment following Chancellor John Healey’s Budget.
The Chancellor said households in council tax bands A to D will get the payments into their bank accounts, with the support costing £2.6 billion.
However, Gilruth criticised the wider package, arguing it failed to deliver the scale of support required to tackle high energy costs.
READ MORE: ‘Fallen short’: Scottish parties deliver verdict on John Healey’s Budget
She said: “The Scottish Government will ensure that households in Scotland will benefit from the one-off £100 payment for energy bill support, however, it is clear that the measures announced today fall far short of the action which is required.
“Furthermore, this support does not come close to meeting the promises on which the UK Government came to office, including reducing energy bills by £300 which remain significantly higher than they were in July 2024.
“The UK Government has failed to meet the moment and has failed to keep its promise.”
The confirmation comes after the UK Government put the £100 household energy payment to the Scottish Government to match.
Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government’s budget will be cut by around £650 million next year - reducing the money we have to spend on public services and supporting people with the cost of living.
“The Prime Minister has previously claimed that he would respect devolution and the Scottish Government – but his actions do not match his words. Cutting Scotland’s budget shows that, yet again, we are being treated as an afterthought.”
READ MORE: Scottish Government to get 'extra £600m from UK Budget spending plans'
The Deputy First Minister also criticised the UK Budget for failing to scrap policies including the bedroom tax, benefit cap and what she described as the “young parent penalty” in Universal Credit.
She said: “The Chancellor had the opportunity to lift thousands more families out of poverty, and he has chosen not to.”
The Scottish Government will set out its own Budget on December 3, when Gilruth said ministers would provide further details on the implications of the UK Government’s plans for Scotland.
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