Young people leaving care in Scotland are to to receive a one-off Care Leaver Payment of £2,000 to support them to move into more independent living under proposals being considered.
The proposed payment will be co-designed with care experienced people.
The announcement comes after the Independent Care Review highlighted links between those with care experience and the increased risk of poor mental health, addiction, homelessness and exploitation.

The UK government has officially published a report on the capabilities and risks for frontier AI, ahead of the AI Safety Summit next week.
The report draws on a range of sources, including UK intelligence assessments.
The report will serve as a discussion paper at the summit.

£42.6m of funding is to be spent on innovation projects in adult social care.
The Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) to support innovation in local areas to boost quality and accessibility of adult social care in England.
The Accelerating Reform Fund is part of the Department’s Innovation and Improvement Unit and will focus on trialling and expanding new approaches to providing care and improving services for unpaid carers.

Statistics from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) show that social landlords are continuing to build new homes.
RSH published its annual social housing sector stock and rents statistics.
Returns from all private and local authority registered providers show that the sector provides around 4.5 million homes across England, with a net increase of nearly 34,000 social homes since 2022.
Around 26,000 homes were added for "Affordable Rent".

Funding has been awarded from the Levelling Up Fund to projects around the country.
£20 million will be used to upgrade Kilmarnock and help it become a national cultural destination. The Palace Theatre and Grand Hall will be reimagined and allow the venue to expand its offer and attract external performers.

Local bus services in the North and the Midlands are set to receive £150 million of funding redirected from HS2.
Transport secretary Mark Harper made the announcement, which is the first tranche of £1 billion in new funding to improve bus services.
The funding will go directly to local authorities so that they can work in partnership with bus operators to decide how best to use it to deliver better services that meet the needs of each local area.

The government has announced an increase in grants for heat pump installations.
This means that households will now be able to install a heat pump for cheaper than the average gas boiler.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will now offer £7,500 towards the cost of a new heat pump.
£10 million will also be made available through the Heat Pump Ready programme to support innovation in the heat pump sector to cut installation costs even further.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced simpler recycling collections and tougher regulation to reform the waste system.
It is hoped that reforms to household and business bin collections and a crackdown on unscrupulous waste carriers will boost recycling rates and protect the environment.
A new simpler approach to recycling will mean that people across England will be able to recycle the same materials at home, work or school.
By 2026, weekly collections of food waste will be introduced for most households.

"Local authority budgets have failed to keep pace with rising costs and the increase in the number of people needing care"

RAC head of policy Simon Williams: “It is plain wrong that drivers who contribute billions in tax every year have to put up with roads that are so far from being fit for purpose.”