PFG must reflect First Minister's commitment to child poverty

Programme for Government must demonstrate seriousness of First Minister’s commitment that child poverty is ‘number one priority’

• Current Holyrood approach to tackling child poverty is right say campaigners, but scale and pace of action not nearly enough
• More action and investment will be needed in social security, childcare, housing and jobs
• UK government also ‘needs to step up to the plate’ and act to scrap two child limit

 Speaking ahead of the First Minister’s Programme for Government John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland said:

 “The First Minister is absolutely right to make child poverty his number one priority, and his Programme for Government needs to demonstrate the seriousness of that commitment. The Scottish government’s current approach to child poverty is the right approach, with the Scottish child payment alone lifting between 40 000 and 60 000 children out of poverty. But the scale and pace of action is not yet nearly enough to meet the statutory child poverty targets agreed by all Holyrood’s political parties.

 

The tough reality facing government and opposition alike is that there is no credible route to eradicating child poverty that doesn’t involve further serious investment in social security, childcare, affordable family housing and action to support parents access decent jobs. More can and must be done to reform public services so that hard up families can access them, but those services need to be available and adequately funded in the first place.”

 In a briefing sent to all MSPs the Child Poverty Action Group say that with public finances under severe pressure and Scottish Ministers under a legal requirement to meet child poverty targets, the 2024-25 Programme for Government must prioritise action to achieve the Scottish Government’s ‘number one policy priority’. Action on social security and on removing barriers to employment, childcare and housing, are vital to protect and build on the progress that has already been made, they say.

 On the fiscal challenges facing government Mr Dickie continued;

 “The Scottish government faces undoubted fiscal challenges, but we are a rich country. Given that pressures on public finances are so tight the First Minister also needs to look at making more use of devolved tax powers to harness the undoubted wealth the country has to help deliver on his child poverty objectives and sustain public services. The Westminster government also needs to step up to the plate and use the levers at its disposal to stem rising UK-wide child poverty, starting with the scrapping of the two-child limit in the UK benefit system. We need both governments to work together to end this scandal of child poverty in a rich country.”

 ENDS

 For more details or interviews contact John Dickie, Director of CPAG in Scotland on 07795 340 618