Independent analysis due to be published alongside the Scottish Government’s first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan shows the extent of damage caused by UK Government welfare cuts. The analysis outlines projections of child poverty rates in Scotland on the basis of announced tax and benefit changes, and the consequent increases in poverty levels.
It estimates that by 2030/31, 38% of children will be in relative poverty, 32% in absolute poverty, 17% in combined low income and material deprivation, and 16% of children will be in persistent poverty – all up significantly on current rates.
Communities Secretary Angela Constance said: “This reveals the long-term damage of UK Government welfare cuts and austerity, with alarming increases across every measure of child poverty. We know the damage that has been caused already, but what alarms me is that the worst is still to come, with £4 billion annual cuts by the end of this decade set to take a stark toll on families and children.
“Addressing inequalities is core to everything we do to make Scotland fairer and more equal. That includes spending over £100 million every year to protect people from the worst impact of UK Government welfare cuts – money that could be better spent on preventing poverty.
“Our Child Poverty Act recently established Scotland as the only part of the UK with statutory targets to tackle child poverty – and it is now more evident the scale of the challenge we face in meeting our ambitions due to UK Government policies.
“The UK Government must urgently and drastically change course. If they won’t, then they must deliver the necessary powers and financial levers to Scotland so we can do things differently and actually lift people out of poverty as opposed to only being able to mitigate the UK Government’s cuts.”
Background information – Projections of child poverty targets if no action taken (1)
Statistics published last week reveal that one million people in Scotland, more than a fifth of them children, are living in relative poverty after housing costs. There are over 128,000 homeless children living in Britain today.
Commenting on the ffigures, Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “It is simply wrong that in Scotland today, child poverty is on the rise again. We know this can have a hugely negative impact on children’s health, wellbeing and future life chances.
“After housing costs, nearly a quarter of all children in Scotland are now living in poverty. This is directly linked to spiralling housing costs and our chronic shortage of affordable homes. Our housing crisis is robbing more and more children of a decent standard of life.
“A major step change in the number of affordable homes available in communities across Scotland will help to tackle this. There is no room for complacency on our national commitment to build more affordable homes.”
“We would urge the Scottish Government to bring forward its date for cutting child poverty currently set for 2030. That’s a long time to wait for a lot of children who need to see action now.”
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