The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Driving progress on child poverty as legislation to be reviewed

The type of targets used to measure the impact on child poverty will be reviewed to ensure continued progress in improving families’ lives.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Scottish Government will begin the review this summer in consultation with children and families, charities and public bodies.

The announcement came during an update to the Scottish Parliament on progress towards eradicating child poverty. It is estimated that Scottish Government policies in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, published in March, will keep around 100,000 children out of relative poverty this year. 

Ms Somerville said: “Our defining mission is to eradicate child poverty and we are unwavering in that commitment. The review will help to make sure the targets set in our legislation are accounting for all efforts across government in ending child poverty.

“We have made a great deal of progress since the Act was passed in 2017, within the devolved powers we have, including introducing the game-changing Scottish Child Payment, and are making huge strides in cutting everyday costs for families. We must now bring together wider interventions such as our childcare package and free bus travel.

“Against a cost-of-living crisis, continued Westminster austerity, and a volatile international situation, the Scottish Government invested over £3.1 billion in support targeted at low-income households last year, with spend benefiting children rising to almost £1.5 billion, enabling ongoing investment in key policies.”

Child poverty campaigners have responded to Thursday’s (18th June) Scottish Government Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan – Annual Progress Report and her announcement of a review of child poverty targets.

 John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said: “Very real progress has been made on child poverty in Scotland recently, but the Cabinet Secretary’s focus today on reviewing targets rather than strengthening her child poverty plan is hugely concerning.  Struggling families need a stronger plan, not a review of targets. 

“It is vital that Ministers come forward with a revised child poverty plan. The current plan rightly focusses on boosting income from employment and social security and cutting the costs families face, but the scale and detail of action falls far short of what’s needed. A revised plan must demonstrably set out how further year-on-year progress will be made. For the one in five of Scotland’s children still locked in poverty there is no time to lose.”

Mr. Dickie continued: “Plans to increase the Scottish child payment for babies under one are a positive step but they won’t kick in for over a year and will still leave the vast majority of children without any additional financial support.

The promise of more breakfast clubs, after school and holiday activities and further childcare expansion will all be welcomed by families, but don’t yet add up to the scale of intervention needed to make serious further progress.”

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland sent a proposed Programme for Government to every member of the Scottish Parliament ahead of todays Ministerial Statement. The group’s proposal include:

• Extending the planned increase to Scottish child payment for babies (to £40 a week) to all eligible children, as a step toward doubling its value to at least £55 per week by 2030.
• Commencing outstanding provisions of the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025 to enable gaps in Scottish child payment entitlement to be addressed, and to ensure the payment provides greater security for families whose earnings from work fluctuate by, for example, introducing a 12-week ‘run on’.
• Ensuring high-quality school aged childcare is available to all parents during term time and school holidays.
• Subsidising providers to deliver short periods of free childcare to help families when support for childcare costs from universal credit is not available
• Using public procurement and public body wage setting powers to drive improvements in the quality of work.
• Investing in the provision of affordable social housing, to ensure all children live in safe, secure and affordable homes; and
• Funding every school to fully remove cost pressures from families, and overcome poverty-related barriers to learning through expansion of free school meals, extension of school clothing grants, provision of devices and connectivity, and funding access to ‘rite of passage’ residentials and school trips.

Mr Dickie continued: “There is no question that budget pressures and long-term fiscal sustainability pose a real challenge for the Scottish government.

“That is why it is more important than ever to reduce the long-term costs that poverty imposes on our public services and economy.

“Each and every public sector reform and tax and spending decision must be designed to contribute to child poverty reduction.”

Child Poverty Progress Update