Campaigners welcome poverty commission call for urgent action

"increases to the Scottish child payment must be top priority" with Commission advice stating that "social security will need to play a continued and increased role to meet the 2030 targets"

Responding to publication today (04/11/25) of the Poverty and Inequality Commission's formal advice to the Scottish government as Ministers prepare their third and final child poverty delivery plan under the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017, John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland said;

"It's vital that Ministers heed the advice coming from the independent Commission on the need for urgent action to meet child poverty targets. Real progress is being made but as the Commission lays out there is a "chasm" between levels of child poverty now and where they need to be. The Commission is clear significant increases to the Scottish child payment must be top priority in bridging that 'chasm', alongside action on employment, housing and childcare. It is now vital that Ministers use the coming Scottish budget to increase the Scottish child payment to the £40 experts say is needed, and that all the Holyrood parties commit to ensuring it reaches £55 a week by the end of the next Parliament."

Mr. Dickie continued;

"There is no question that UK government must use its powers to act on child poverty as well, with abolition of the two-child limit in the UK benefit system the essential first step. Abolishing the two-child limit would not only benefit struggling families across the UK it would free up Scottish government resources to increase the Scottish child payment. But Holyrood politicians need to remember meeting the Scottish child poverty targets is not conditional on action at Westminster. The next Scottish child poverty plan must deliver year on year progress whatever happens at UK level."

ENDS

Notes to editors

The Poverty and Inequality Commission provides independent advice to ministers and monitors progress towards tackling poverty and inequality. It has an advocacy role to help bring about real reductions in poverty and inequality in Scotland. The Commission is independent of the Scottish Government.

The Commission report can be read here https://povertyinequality.scot/

For further comment or background call John Dickie, Director of CPAG in Scotland on 07795 340 618