8. I welcome the cabinet secretary to his new role.

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support access to health and social care services in Glasgow. (S6O-03101)

The Scottish Government is undertaking a range of work to support access to health and social care services across Scotland, including in Glasgow. We are delivering on our programme for government commitment to increase social care spending by 25 per cent over this session of Parliament, which is two years ahead of our original target. We are also committed to building a national care service to improve the quality and consistency of community health and community care across Scotland.

Despite that investment, many people in Glasgow—disabled people—are being asked to pay more for their social care. In some cases, they are being asked to pay 75 per cent more. I am particularly worried about that because of the impact that it is having on their poverty and their cost of living, but I am more concerned that it is happening without additional financial assessment. My constituents tell me that the increased costs are eating up around three quarters of their benefits during the cost of living crisis.

What action can the cabinet secretary take to ensure that proper financial reassessments take place? Does his Government still believe in the policy of ending care charges? When does he think that those taxes on care will finally be ended?

I recognise the situation that is faced by people across Scotland, especially disabled people, who are disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis that is affecting people across the United Kingdom. Across the Government—not just in my portfolio but in the likes of the social security portfolio—we have taken steps to provide as much support as we can, given the limited powers that we have available to us.

On the help that is available through social care services, I would be more than happy to write to Pam Duncan-Glancy to respond directly to the questions that she has raised.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

That concludes NHS recovery, health and social care portfolio question time. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business.