FM is absolutely right
- "there is no greater investment in our country’s future than investment to end child poverty"
But campaigners say immediate above inflation increases are needed to the Scottish child payment to deliver the “lasting solutions” promised
Responding to today’s (Wednesday 15th January 2025) child poverty speech by the First Minister John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), said;
"The First Minister is right when he says there is no greater investment in our country’s future than investment to end child poverty, and he is absolutely right that social security must be the cornerstone of that investment.
His promise of lasting solutions is really welcome, but there is no credible route to meeting Scotland’s child poverty targets that does not involve further substantive increases to the value of the Scottish child payment, alongside more action to improve access to childcare and to affordable family housing. The most pressing action the First Minister can deliver is to substantively increase the real terms value of the Scottish child payment in his Budget for the coming year. The commitment to effectively scrap the two-child limit in Scotland by 2026 is extremely welcome, as is today’s promise to ringfence the resources that this will require in the event the policy is scrapped at UK level. But the hard reality is that struggling families need an income boost now."
Analysis by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland shows that increasing the payment from £26.70 to £30 a week would lift around 5,000 children out of poverty at a cost of £50 million. It would also reduce the depth of poverty for many more and strengthen the protective buffer for families living just above the poverty line. Increasing the Payment to £40 would lift 15,000 children out of poverty in Scotland at a cost of £200 million.
Mr Dickie continued:
"The First Minister is also right that action is needed to improve access to public services and to ensure that all our children achieve at school – whatever their family’s circumstances. But whilst reforming public services so that hard up families can easily access support is vital, those services need to be available and adequately funded in the first place, Greater investment is needed in the childcare, housing and employment support that families so desperately need."
UK child poverty strategy must put same focus on social security investment
Mr Dickie added;
"We need to see the UK government’s forthcoming child poverty strategy place equal focus on investing in the social security support struggling families so desperately need, alongside action to improve income from employment. The two-child limit is driving over 100 children into poverty a day across the UK. Scrapping it as a first step toward restoring the value of family support must be a vital element of any credible plan."
ENDS
For further comment or background contact
John Dickie on 07795 340 618