Protecting older people

Older people in Scotland have been neglected by Westminster. From scrapping winter fuel payments, refusing to compensate WASPI women impacted by state pension inequality, and slashing NHS budgets, both Conservative and Labour iterations of the Westminster government have abandoned older people. In Scotland, the SNP government has worked tirelessly to provide older people with the support and care they deserve - through health and social care, protecting benefits, and prioritising connection and community.

In the run up to the 2024 Westminster General Election, Anas Sarwar told Scotland: “no austerity under Labour.” As one of their first acts in power, the Labour government proceeded to slash the winter fuel payment for pensioners. The SNP government stood up for older people in Scotland, instating a Pension Age Winter Heating Payment in the face of this let down from Labour’s “changed” Westminster. This payment is vital to help older people pay their heating bills, in a climate where energy bills continue to skyrocket under an ineffective Labour government, which is only getting worse with the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

This is not the only promise that Sarwar and Starmer have broken since the 2024 General Election campaign - Labour has refused to compensate WASPI women despite campaigning on this exact point in 2024. More than two women have died every day in Scotland before receiving a single penny of compensation for the injustice they endured. Pensions are reserved to Westminster - a government which does not care to rectify the inequality injustice upon which it campaigned. I have backed WASPI women from the start, and the SNP will remain steadfast in its concrete

people are able to engage actively and benefit from their communities. We have ensured bus travel is free for those over 60 in Scotland, and we are committed to making bus travel more effective and convenient for its users. The SNP government has allocated £20 million via the Bus Infrastructure Fund to improve accessibility, tackle congestion and shorten journey times - ensuring that older people in Scotland can travel to see their families, get to the shops and the GP, and engage in the activities that they enjoy most.

We are supporting high street businesses to help Scottish high streets thrive - not only for our economy, but for Scottish people themselves. The SNP government financially backs our high streets, and does so far beyond any other country in the UK. Scotland has the lowest Basic Property Rate in the UK, and has the most generous Small Business Bonus Scheme of all comparable UK schemes. The SNP shows up for high street businesses, knowing the key role they play in our communities and for Scotland’s older people.

We champion the NHS, providing record funding for NHS services in Scotland. We are especially committed to improving access to health and social care at the community level - which consistently proves to have better outcomes for its users. This financial year, the SNP has allocated over £16 billion for community focused care within frontline NHS boards. Scotland has the highest number of GPs per head than any other nation in the UK, thanks to the SNP’s dedication to care within the community. We are also keeping your prescriptions free, saving you £9.90 per item.

Additionally, free personal and nursing care has been extended to all those in Scotland who need it, helping older people to live independently and feel supported. For those supporting others, we have introduced an extended, non-means tested, Carer Support Payment - 26% of unpaid carers in Scotland are over 65. People in Scotland deserve support, dignity and respect as they age, and the SNP are committed to delivering this through vital benefits.

We are committed to tackling loneliness in Scottish communities - which disproportionately affects older people. This has become ever more pertinent since the Covid-19 pandemic. In response to this in October 2021, the SNP government launched a Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. Since its creation, it has distributed over £66 million to community initiatives promoting wellbeing and tackling social isolation. We are working with public, private and third sectors to make loneliness a thing of the past, engaging all sectors to create a shared responsibility for the prospering of community in Scotland.

The third in my series on what has the SNP government done for Scotland since being elected. A reasonable question when one party has led the Government for so long. There are many, many achievements and positives to answer that question. Today I'm focussing on how the SNP government has delivered for our older population, within the restricted envelope of funding received via the Barnett formula from Westminster.

commitment to holding Westminster to account and ensuring these women get the justice they deserve.

We know how much the local community means to people in Scotland. The SNP work hard to ensure that older

Whilst recognising that more needs to be done, the SNP continues to champion the needs of older people in Scotland, in stark contrast to how Conservative and Labour Westminster governments have treated this demographic. Only a vote for the SNP on May 7th can protect the institutions and measure that support older people in Scotland, and allow our communities to thrive with older people at their core. As your MSP, I will stand up for those impacted by injustice, representing the needs of older people in our community at the national level as well as locally, and ensuring no voice is forgotten.