To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s work to roll out the carer support payment. (S6F-03280)

Our carer support payment is the 14th benefit to be delivered by Social Security Scotland and has been available for new applicants in Dundee city, Perth and Kinross, and the Western Isles since November 2023. From November it will operate nationally, and on Monday we completed the latest phase of the roll-out, opening the payment to new applications in Angus, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire.

The carer support payment, which was co-designed with carers and support organisations, extends entitlement to many carers in full-time education, thereby removing barriers to education for around 1,500 carers a year.

The carer support payment is Scotland’s 14th transformative devolved payment and it benefits many young carers who would simply not, were they elsewhere in the United Kingdom, receive the financial support that they deserve.

Will the First Minister urge the next UK Government to face up to the devastating effects of a decade of austerity on our communities, including on unpaid carers, and match the progressive social security ambitions of the Scottish National Party Scottish Government?

In addition to Emma Harper’s point about the impact of the carer support payment on young people, from Monday we extended eligibility for that payment to 16 to 19-year-olds who are in full-time secondary education and are in exceptional circumstances. I hope that that will help to address some of the issues that the member raises.

The Government is committing a record £6.3 billion to benefits expenditure, which is £1.1 billion more than we receive from the United Kingdom Government for social security through the block grant. That demonstrates our commitment to tackling poverty. The investment will support more than one in five people in Scotland—in particular, disabled people. It will assist them to live full and independent lives and it will enable older people to heat their homes in winter. It recognises unpaid carers’ valuable contribution to our communities around the country.

We move to general and constituency supplementary questions. If we keep questions and responses concise, we will be able to involve more members.