CPAG welcomes positive evaluation of the Scottish child payment
- research shows Scottish child payment is working
CPAG calls for payment to be increased to £40
Responding to the Scottish government’s evaluation of its five family payments, published today, Kirsty McKechnie from Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland said:
Statistics already demonstrated that the five payments are working, as child poverty decreased by 4 percentage points in Scotland whilst rising to record highs in the rest of the UK. This evaluation further confirms the positive impact payments are having for families, including money to buy healthy food and school supplies, enabling children to take part in social and educational activities and improved children’s happiness and parental mental health.
Families have acknowledged the positive impact of the payments on their finances but still report financial difficulties, confirming the need for the Scottish government to increase the Scottish child payment to £40 per week in the lifetime of this parliament and to £55 per week by 2030/31.
For Westminster ministers currently drawing up the national child poverty strategy, these results are timely confirmation of what can be achieved for children if the will is there.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
The Scottish government published its evaluation of the five family payments today.
The five family payments include: Scottish child payment; Best Start Grants (pregnancy and baby payment; early years payment and school payment); Best Start Foods.
Latest figures show that in the single year 2023/24, 22% of children were living in poverty against a target rate of less than 18%, but down from 26% in the previous year. The three-year average rate of child poverty between 2021 and 2024 was 23%, down from 24%. Scottish government’s Poverty and Inequality Statistics
CPAG media contact
Jane Ahrends 07816 909302