Thistle Foundation response to Scottish Budget 2026-27

We share the concerns of the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) and are calling for the Scottish Government to take action on the issues outlined in their briefing.

The Scottish Government has taken the decision to alter the funding baseline for social care pay in 2026-27 without any consultation or communication with key stakeholders. Whilst this is a marginal saving in Scottish Budget terms, it will have a huge impact on non-profit social care providers like Thistle Foundation. The decision, when coupled with last year’s UK Government decision to increase employer National Insurance Contributions, results in increasing Thistle's costs by over £350,000 per annum with no means to recover these costs.

The suggestion by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance that it is "not unreasonable" for employers to cover these costs is fundamentally misaligned with the reality on the ground and the Scottish Government’s policy on Fair Work. We are not-for-profit partners delivering public services. Thistle does not have profit margins to absorb this cost.

We are an organisation that cares about people – employees, people we support, families – we want to make good decisions that benefit Scotland’s people and communities. If this budget passes in its current form, like many other Social Care organisations, we will be forced into a position where we will have to take difficult decisions that will undoubtedly affect the sustainability of essential social care support for Scottish citizens. We strongly urge the Scottish Government to reconsider its position as a matter of urgency.