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The Scottish budget: What it means for Young People

Kate Forbes, the Finance Secretary, has reached an agreement with the Scottish Greens to pass the SNP's budget plans for the next year.


While Westminster continues to obsess with Brexit, fails to recognise the climate crisis and delivers regressive policies that hurt the most vulnerable in our society, the SNP are choosing a different path for Scotland.


The Scottish Government’s budget will boost support for young people, continue our world leading action on Climate Change, deliver a National Concessionary Travel scheme offering free bus travel for under 18s, lift 30,000 children out of poverty and much more.


Here’s what it means for young people.


  • This budget will deliver £117 million investment in mental health services for all ages and stages of life;

  • £180 million to continue with our commitment to closing the attainment gap in schools;

  • an investment of over half of a billion, £645 million, in our planned expansion of childcare and early years education;

  • the Scottish Child Payment, which when fully rolled out will help 30,000 children out of poverty;

  • a National Concessionary Travel scheme offering free bus travel for under 18s, with the aim to introduce the scheme in January 2021;

  • continued investment in the £50 million Tackling Child Poverty Fund;

  • continued investment of £10.5 million to support learning provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs;

  • increased investment in Skills Development Scotland to £224.8 million, continuing to ensure that apprenticeship opportunities are open to all and supporting the delivery of our new Careers Strategy;

  • boost investment in our colleges with a real‐terms increase in resource funding rising to £640 million, raising their ability to support our economy and delivering a well‐educated, skilled workforce;

  • and strengthen our universities with a real terms increase in funding, providing £1.14 billion to reinforce the sector’s global reputation and commitment to widening access.


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