Press release

•    Over 150 charities, faith groups, trade unions and civic organisations sign open letter urging First Minister to use Scottish budget to invest more to meet child poverty targets •    “Increase the Scottish Child Payment to the £30 per week you committed to” campaigners say - as a first step. •    Budget “a critical test” of FM’s willingness to make sure tax and spending plans match child poverty ambitions.

It’s right that benefits are uprated as usual but this should never have been in doubt and legislation mandating inflationary increases is needed as a basic protection for living standards.   Struggling families have been worrying themselves sick for months about whether an unmanageable income cut was coming in order to provide the government with a rabbit-out-of-the-hat moment.  

Ahead of the Autumn Statement, organisations representing children’s doctors, school leaders and social workers have joined Child Poverty Action Group in calling on the Chancellor to uprate benefits from April at least in line with September’s inflation rate as usual.

A landmark ruling in the Court of Appeal has held that the government is required to consider the fundamental rights of EU citizens and their families residing in the UK, including their right to live in dignified conditions, before refusing universal credit support.

As the Government’s Autumn cost of living payment starts to hit doormats from today, Child Poverty Action Group and Changing Realities warn that they won’t be enough to prevent more hardship for families with children this winter.

Our response to inflation figures.

Struggling families would be substantially worse off than they were five years ago if benefits are not uprated with inflation, new analysis from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows.

As more families migrate from older benefits to universal credit, new official figures show there are 2.3 million children in households on universal credit (UC) which are having debt deductions from their benefit, forcing them to live on significantly less than their entitlement.

First-of-its kind-survey finds 79% of school staff in England say time must be diverted from allocated roles to combat child poverty.

First Minister is right to prioritise childcare, but more direct cash support still needed to meet child poverty targets say campaigners •    “disappointment” at lack of further detail on First Minister’s commitment to increase Scottish child payment to £30