‘Ending child poverty is now the urgent policy priority for any future government and scrapping the two-child limit and benefit cap and expanding free school meals eligibility are essential first steps down that road, but a comprehensive strategy across government is also needed to protect the well being of all children and achieve a fair deal for them - the next Government will need to go further and ensure child benefit is increased across the board and free school meals are available for every child.’
Responding to the First Minister’s Statement on ‘Priorities for Scotland’ John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), said “First Minister’s commitment must be backed by concrete policies and investment on a scale well beyond what we heard today”
‘It’s good to hear that ending child poverty is central for Labour, but the best way to achieve that is by ending the two-child limit on benefits which is driving so many children into hardship. A child poverty reduction plan is essential, but scrapping the two-child limit would have to be step one.'
The proportion of tax credit claimants not moving to universal credit (UC) when required to – and losing all of their benefits as a result – has jumped to 39%, up from 25% in July, DWP figures published today show. That’s more than 180,000 people whose ‘legacy benefit’ claim has been terminated without safely making the move to UC.
Speaking today (Tuesday 07/05/24) following the Scottish Parliament’s nomination of John Swinney as Scotland’s next First Minister, John Dickie, Director of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said, “It is hugely encouraging that the incoming First Minister has already said he will make child poverty his number one priority. For the one in four children still locked in hardship that pledge needs to be acted on, and fast.
With child poverty at a record high, the prime minister has now clearly decided that making kids poor is his political priority. After covid and the cost of living crisis, struggling families need a helping hand not another kick in the teeth.
