Social tariff warmly welcomed as Scots need all the help they can this winter

Record View says the SNP government's plan is long overdue.

Scots need any help they can get with their energy bills with another tough winter ahead.

That’s why the SNP government’s plan for a social energy tariff for hard-up Scots is to be warmly welcomed.

In truth, it’s long overdue.

Ditched more than a decade ago by the UK Government in favour of schemes which simply haven’t done enough to protect people from an out-of-control energy market, the idea of a social tariff is straightforward and makes sense.

Cheaper prices and additional support for the poorest as well as those teetering on the edge of fuel poverty.

That includes the many thousands of pensioners about to be stripped of the Winter Fuel Payment but still on low to middling incomes.

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!

Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.

You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.

All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!

If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.

If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

With the energy price cap rising by 10 per cent from next month – meaning the average annual fuel bill jumps to £1717 per household – Keir Starmer’s withdrawal of this benefit has gone down like a lead balloon.

It’s understandable. Whatever the financial reasons and the mess they inherited from the Tories, the policy has turned into a debacle from Labour.

Naturally, the SNP senses an opportunity. Of course, any social tariff would have to be implemented at Westminster where powers in this area lie.

But getting energy suppliers like E.ON and Scottish Gas on side would be a huge bonus.

And it’s exactly the sort of bread and butter policy the SNP needs to get back to after years of damaging distractions in order to reconnect with voters.

If it can help the neediest in our society this winter, all the better.

Sickener for staff

It’s no secret NHS staff have been pushed to breaking point in recent years.

The demand for services remains massive with one in six Scots stuck on a waiting list for treatment.

It’s little surprise, given the pressures they are facing every day, that some NHS staff are going off sick.

It was revealed yesterday that more than 15 million working hours were lost to staff sickness in just a single year.

Top news stories today

• Slovan Bratislava fans attack Celtic pub
• John Barrowman on "thoughts of suicide"
• Halfords manager coupon scammer jailed
• Woman's warning after cancer diagnosis

Part of the problem is some NHS workers become stuck on waiting lists themselves and are unable to return to work as a result.

Anas Sarwar described such a scenario as a “doom loop of delays” in which everyone loses.

Our NHS heroes have been offered many kind words in recent years but that’s not enough to ease the pressure they are under.

More needs to be done to ensure their working environment is not forcing them to go off sick.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.