UK Budget ‘all but blind’ to struggling families and public services they rely on

“If the Scottish government can manage to drive down child poverty through the Scottish child payment there is absolutely no reason UK government cannot provide equivalent investment”

Responding to the UK government’s Spring Budget, John Dickie, Director of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland said:

“This was a Budget all but blind to buckling family budgets and broken public services. Families needed the two-child limit and benefit cap to be scrapped along with investment in children’s benefits, but the Chancellor turned away. The national insurance cut won’t help those on the lowest incomes. If the Scottish government can manage to drive down child poverty by introducing the £25 a week Scottish child payment and mitigating the benefit cap there is absolutely no reason UK government cannot provide, at the very least, equivalent investment in UK family benefits. There is nothing responsible or good for growth about racking up the costs that poverty imposes on individual families and on all of us." 

Support with universal credit advances will give families more space but go nowhere near to making the kind of difference struggling families need, campaigners say:

More social security support in childhood means healthier, more educated children, a more productive workforce, higher economic growth and reduced costs for government. Any government concerned about economic growth should be investing in kids not allowing them to go hungry.

Higher Income Child Benefit Charge

“The change to child benefit for higher income families is welcome but it turns the spotlight on families getting very much less. Child benefit has lost 20% of its value since 2010 – an unforgiveable real-terms cut that hits kids in the lowest income families hard.  Any government concerned with the country’s economic prospects must restore investment in children, starting with a £20 per week increase to child benefit and abolition of the two-child limit in universal credit allowances.” 

Note to editors

For further comment contact John Dickie on 07795 340 618.

CPAG's Pre-Budget briefing for MPs