Nicola Sturgeon is poised to announce a new £100million fund to help hard up Scots this winter.

The First Minister will say the coronavirus pandemic has shown that it should no longer be accepted that problems with poverty and inequality are “inevitable or insoluble”.

The action comes in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, which has seen many lose their jobs or have their incomes cut.

As part of the fund, a direct payment will be set up to some parents.

What is the payment?

Nicola Sturgeon will announce a £100 payment to all families with children in receipt of free school meals.

The new fund for low income households will provide those in need with cash to help “pay their fuel bills and make sure children don’t go hungry”, Ms Sturgeon will tell the SNP annual conference.

In addition to this, it will help pay to get older people connected online and provide help for the homeless.

When will the £100 grant be paid?

The cash grant will be paid before Christmas.

What should the payment be used for?

Nicola Sturgeon will say: “Families can use it for whatever will help them through the winter.

“That could be food, new shoes or a winter coat for the kids.

“Families will know best what they need. That’s not for government to decide.”

What else will be said?

In February, the Scottish Government is bringing in a £10 week a payment for children in low income families – with Ms Sturgeon to say that Scotland is the “only part of the UK” to take such action.

But she will add: “I know that for families struggling now, February is still a long way off.

She will state: “We must make sure we are working to the right plan, with all the tools we need to do the job.”

“So I am announcing today a £100 million package to bridge that gap, and help others struggling most with the impact of Covid over the winter months.

“It will include money to help people pay their fuel bills and make sure children don’t go hungry.”

She will declare: “Initiatives like this are not just about providing practical help to those who need it most – they are an expression of our values and of the kind of country we are seeking to build.”