To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it has been undertaking with disabled people’s organisations regarding the delivery of its disability equality plan. (S6O-03873)

We remain committed to addressing the significant challenges that disabled people are facing following decades of austerity and a cost of living crisis. This year, we committed £6.1 billion to benefits, including an additional £300 million for adult disability payment. That represents an investment of more than £1.1 billion over and above what we receive from the UK Government.

However, it is clear that disabled people continue to face significant barriers. That is why we committed to delivering the disability equality plan, which lays the foundations for meaningful change. The limitations of our devolved budget mean that it is not always possible to meet the full extent of everyone’s ambitions in this first phase. However, we will continue to work with disabled people’s organisations to build towards a fairer Scotland.

Disabled people’s organisations including Disability Equality Scotland, the Glasgow Disability Alliance and Inclusion Scotland have been in contact with evidence that underlines how disabled people have been disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis across the United Kingdom. Will the Minister speak to the existing support that households in Scotland are able to access this winter? Will she outline what further work is being done alongside the DPOs to ensure that disabled people are not left behind in the Scottish Government’s mission to end poverty in Scotland, in light of the disabled people demand justice campaign?

I can give the member that assurance. We introduced the pension age disability payment, which is worth between £290 and £434 a month to people of state pension age who are disabled. The child winter heating payment will help households with severely disabled children to manage the additional costs that they face this winter.

We have secured the agreement of energy suppliers, consumer organisations and DPOs to co-design a social tariff mechanism to evidence its viability. We also reopened the independent living fund, helping up to 1,000 more disabled people to access the support that they need.

This week—almost exactly one year on from telling me that my bill to support transitions for disabled people was not needed and a whole eight years after the Scottish National Party first promised it—the Government delayed the transitions to adulthood strategy, which affects a number of young disabled people. The Government said that it had done that in order to allow sufficient time to support meaningful engagement.

Blaming the people who need that strategy for the Government’s delay is a new low. How many more years will young disabled people have to wait until the Government gets its act together?

I understand the member’s frustrations, and I commend the work that she did on the bill. I reassure her that we are not delaying. I have already outlined the investment and some of the tasks that we are taking forward, and we will continue to progress that work.