Two-child benefit cap mitigation could start in early 2026, says Robison

The Scottish Government’s mitigation of the two-child benefit cap could be introduced ahead of the 2026 financial year if work progresses well, the Finance Secretary has indicated.

Shona Robison insisted the scheme is going ahead, saying the Government could implement it before April 2026.

Ms Robison set out the SNP Government’s intention to effectively scrap the two-child cap during her Budget proposals for 2025 earlier this week.

However, she said it would require cooperation with the UK Government, and the full sum to do so is not expected to be set out until the following year’s Budget.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday Show, Robison said the Scottish Government currently expects the scheme to cost between £100 million and £150 million.

Social Security Scotland would need a lead-in time of around a year in order to reduce the benefit mitigation, she said, noting there had been good “mood music” about the required data sharing from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The finance secretary said: “If we’re able to make payments earlier in 2026, before the start of the new financial year, then we will look to do that and make the provision for that.

“But it will depend on getting this data.”

It was put to Robison that her timeline was about “politics” given the next Scottish Parliament election is in May 2026.

She said: “This is about tackling child poverty – I came into politics to tackle child poverty.

“It’s what drives me, gets me up in the morning. I know the First Minister is absolutely focused on it.”

She said the Scottish Parliament as a whole had agreed statutory child poverty targets.

MSPs are due to vote on the Scottish Budget in February following a period of negotiation between parties at Holyrood.

Earlier, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar appeared on the Sunday Show, arguing the SNP are “economically incoherent” as they had opposed the UK Government’s revenue-raising measures despite calling for more spending.

The chancellor’s Budget had led to an additional £5.2 billion for the Scottish Government, he said.

Asked if he thinks the public sector is too big in Scotland, he said: “I think the headcount has gone up too far and the productivity has gone down.”

However, he said he would not cut public-sector jobs, saying there should be reform in the public sector.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay told the programme the Scottish benefits bill is “unsustainable” and that his party had proposed cutting a number of measures, mentioning the proposed national care service, baby boxes and plans for free bus travel for asylum seekers.

Discussing the asylum seekers’ bus travel policy, he said: “I think if you took that money, that would pay for the winter fuel payment in full for 6,000 Scottish pensioners who are in desperate need of it. That’s a much better way of spending that money.”