Family-Friendly Policies

We're regularly told by the SNP that Scots are not having enough children. However, the SNP has absolutely no policies to remedy matters (other than encouraging more people through immigration, which is no remedy at all).

So here are our policies to make family formation financially easier and to support the rearing of children.

Transferable Married Couples Tax Allowance

The income tax allowance for a working person in tax year 24/25 is £12,570 before tax kicks in.

If one spouse is at home raising the children, then she (usually) is not making an income. This might cause financial difficulties. Therefore, the working spouse should be able to share the tax allowance of the one looking after the children, meaning that he or she would not be taxed until their income hits £25,140.

This is fairly basic stuff, and the fact that (in the run-up to the 2026 Holyrood Election) it is not being proposed by the mainstream parties – although it is being proposed by IGV – does make one question the extent to which the mainstream parties appear to have an ideological opposition towards the traditional family unit.

Increase Married Tax Allowance per Child

It should also be possible to increase this Married Couples Tax Allowance depending upon how many children you have, with no cap on the number of children. It could also apply to couples where both are working, with the couple's tax allowance increased for every child which they have.

Child Benefits for Every Child

There should be generous financial benefits for having children, as a matter of course. This should not even be controversial! In this regard, we welcome the Labour government's extension of the Two-Child Benefit Cap.

This may, or may not, encourage people to have more children; but even if it does not encourage them, it should be done anyway because children should be considered a good thing to have in the first place!

Women with Children should Not be Forced into the Workplace

The emphasis to date has been helping women (usually) with benefits for nursery and childcare. This is helpful for some women who work outside the home, married or otherwise. 

However, an additional option is to pay women directly to stay at home if they want, with the recognition that looking after children is also a full-time job! 

This may help couples to raise a family with one person working full-time, or two people working part-time.

With the increased ability for people to "work from home", it should become increasingly possible for mothers to earn from home.

Where appropriate and possible, working from home can especially help young families to be formed and to prosper by enabling a parent, or both, to avoid the time and costs of commuting and childcare.

Affordable Housing, and Loans

Social Housing should be built with the specific purpose of being "Starter Family Homes", with suitable bedrooms and space.

Loans could be given to newly married couples to help them rent or purchase such homes, for a period of years. A proportion of the loan should be written off with the birth of each child.

Council Tax Reductions

Families with children should receive council tax reductions on their accommodation, wherever they live.

Families who are looking after elderly relatives in their own homes should also have reductions in their council tax, or council rents, or helped with payments in some way, in order to reflect the saving which this is conferring upon the nation which would otherwise be spending money on elderly care.

Children's Rights

We oppose Puberty Blocking drugs being given to children.