Demonstrators gathered at High Riggs Jobcentre yesterday to demand the re-instatement of the £20 cut to Universal Credit. The protest was called by Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty in response to a call from Disabled People Against the Cuts for UK-wide protests.
Participants included disabled people, pensioners, workers and a group of school students.
Police attended but did not intervene.
The demonstrators denounced the UK government cut, due to be implemented from the end of this month. Protestors held placards with the hashtag #20MoreForAll, demanding the £20 increase be extended to “legacy benefits” like Job Seekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance.
Campaigners have raised alarm at the hardship which a £20 cut will cause to the six million Universal Credit claimants, who include the low paid, unemployed, families and sick and disabled people.
Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty leaflets distributed at the protest quoted research by the Child Poverty Action Group.
The research reveals that over the last decade nearly 100 cuts have been made to social security entitlement and the value of payments has fallen as social security rates have been either frozen or increased by less than inflation.
Thus even with the £20 increase a typical Universal Credit claimant would be hundreds of pounds worse off in 2021 than in 2010.
Ethel MacDonald of Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty said: “The brutal cut in Universal Credit is yet another example of governments attacking the poor to benefit the rich.
“This is also an attack on wages and conditions, aiming to force people to accept insecure low paid jobs. Many on Universal Credit are of course already in such badly paid work, since 39% of Universal Credit claimants are in employment.”
The ECAP spokesperson urged people to organise: “ We need to organise at the grass-roots to resist the cut to Universal Credit, the entire austerity agenda, and the whole profit-based system.
“Claimants need to join together and support each other – for example by accompanying each other to appointments and assessments.”
ECAP stress: “After today’s protest, the struggle against the cut continues. What’s more, we are opposing the DWP’s reckless return to compulsory jobcentre appointments – this endangers both claimants and jobcentre workers, due to the continuing covid threat. We totally oppose all sanctions, and urge claimants to contact us for solidarity.”
While MSPs will debate the Universal Credit cut at Holyrood today, the decision lies with Westminister. The UK Government insists the UC uplift was always intended to be a temporary measure and that their focus is on getting people into work.
Child poverty has risen in every Scottish local authority since 2015, according to new research published today by the End Child Poverty coalition. The new data shows the scale of the challenge faced by UK, Scottish and local government if commitments to end child poverty in Scotland are to be met.
The research by Loughborough University, on behalf of the End Child Poverty coalition, shows that, even before the pandemic*, levels of child poverty in Scotland ranged from nearly one in six children in the Shetland Islands and East Renfrewshire to nearly one in three in Glasgow – once housing costs are taken into account.
Across the UK the North East of England has seen the most dramatic rise in child poverty in the past five years with child poverty rising by over a third – from 26% of all children to 37% – over five years.
Scotland has lower levels of child poverty (24%) than England (30%) or Wales (31%). However, campaigners in Scotland say that there can be no room for complacency if statutory child poverty targets agreed by all the Holyrood parties are to be met.
The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act, passed unanimously by the last parliament, requires the new Scottish government to ensure fewer than 18% of children are living in poverty by 2023/24, on course to less than 10% by 2030. Councils and local health boards are also required to publish annual Local Child Poverty Action Reports setting out action being taken at local level to tackle child poverty. The End Child Poverty campaigners are urging that local powers, including over economic development, housing and welfare, are all used to maximise family incomes and reduce the costs parents face.
Responding to the latest figures Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “In Scotland, we share a responsibility to care for all of our children. These statistics show the need for bold, far-reaching action to loosen the grip of poverty on people’s lives, and ensure each of us has what we need to live a decent and dignified life.
“Stemming this rising tide of hardship must be a priority for the new Scottish Government, and there are actions that can be taken right now to do just that – starting with doubling the Scottish Child Payment and accelerating its rollout for children over the age of 6. This would mean families who are struggling to stay afloat will receive the support they need to avoid being swept into poverty.”
Speaking on behalf of members of End Child Poverty John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, added: “Solid foundations have been laid in Scotland for future progress on child poverty, not least the introduction of the Scottish child payment and an increasing focus on action at local level.
“But this new data is a stark reminder that child poverty was still rising in every part of Scotland, even before the pandemic struck. The challenge now is for government at all levels to use every power they have to boost family incomes and reduce the costs that struggling parents face.
“The new Scottish parliament must act on election promises and make tackling child poverty its top priority. The cross party commitment to at least doubling the Scottish child payment needs to be implemented as a matter of utmost urgency in order to help meet the 2023/24 targets.
“But child poverty also needs to be a priority at local level. Local powers, including over economic development, housing and welfare, must be used to maximum effect to ensure all families have a disposable income fit for giving children a decent start in life.”
The End Child Poverty coalition is also calling on the UK government to recognise the scale of the problem and its impact on children’s lives.
They say a credible UK government plan is needed to end child poverty across the UK, including a commitment to increase UK child benefits. Given the extent to which families are already struggling, the £20 per week cut to Universal Credit planned in October should also be revoked they say, with the support also extended to those still receiving financial assistance from the old benefit system, referred to as ‘legacy benefits’, before they are switched to Universal Credit.
“The figures speak for themselves – the situation for children couldn’t be starker. We all want to live in a society where children are supported to be the best they can be, but the reality is very different for too many.
“The UK Government can be in no doubt about the challenge it faces if it is serious about ‘levelling up’ parts of the country hardest hit by poverty. After the year we’ve all had, they owe it to our children to come up with a plan to tackle child poverty that includes a boost to children’s benefits. And they need to scrap plans to cut Universal Credit given parents and children are having a tough enough time as it is.”
More than half of children living in some constituencies are living in poverty after housing costs are factored in.
Highest rates of child poverty in London and Birmingham
Sharpest increases in child poverty in Midlands and northern cities.
Local authority and constituency data available below.
Child poverty has risen most sharply in parts of the Midlands and Northern towns and cities in the past four years, according to research published today by the End Child Poverty coalition showing the scale of the challenge faced by government if it is to realise its ambition to build back better and level up opportunities for children across the UK.
The research by Loughborough University shows that, before the pandemic, in some parts of the country the majority of children were growing up in poverty, once housing costs are taken into account.
The greatest concentrations of children living in poverty are in London, with London boroughs and parts of Birmingham dominating the list of local authorities where child poverty is highest. In a dozen constituencies in London and Birmingham, more than half the children are living below the poverty line.
Yet the research also shows that the problem is not confined to the UK’s two largest cities. In the last four years, child poverty has risen fastest in parts of the Midlands and Northern towns and cities. Middlesbrough and parts of Tyneside have seen child poverty rates soar by over 10 percentage points since 2014/15.
In the past, low incomes in these areas were counteracted by cheaper housing costs, but during the five years leading up to 2018/19, rents in other parts of the country have risen by the same amount as in the capital, so in places where incomes are being depressed, this is less likely to be offset by falling relative housing costs.
Many of these families find, that once their housing costs are paid, they do not have enough money to meet their children’s needs and are left no option but to turn to crisis help, like food banks, and are increasingly reliant on free school meals.
The impact of poverty on children is well documented with children from low income families more likely to experience worse physical and mental health; do less well in school; and have fewer opportunities in the future.
The coalition is calling on the Government to recognise the scale of the problem and its impact on children’s lives. They are urging the Government to set out an ambitious plan to tackle child poverty encompassing not only social security spending but the high cost of housing and childcare and investment in children’s services.
The report is based on data published by the Department for Work and Pensions in March 2020, and on estimates of the effect of housing costs on poverty rates produced by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, based on survey evidence.
Earlier this year, Boris Johnson was rebuked by the statistics watchdog for his repeated misuse of child poverty statistics. The Statistics Authority upheld a complaint from the End Child Poverty coalition judging that on three separate occasions his statements on child poverty were ‘incorrect’.
Anna Feuchtwang, Chair of End Child Poverty which commissioned the research, said: “The Government can be in no doubt about the challenge it faces if it is serious about ‘levelling up’ disadvantaged parts of the country.
“This new data reveals the true extent of the hardship experienced by families on low incomes – the overwhelming majority of which were working households before the pandemic. The children affected are on a cliff edge, and the pandemic will only sweep them further into danger.
“The Prime Minister must urgently admit to the true extent of child poverty in our country rather than resorting to his own inaccurate statistics. An ambitious plan to put this shameful situation right would be transformational for millions of children.
“As a matter of urgency we are calling on the Chancellor not to go ahead with planned cuts to Universal Credit which would see families lose out on £1000 a year. Given today’s data, this cut is unconscionable.”
End Child Poverty is calling for an urgent Government plan to end child poverty including:
Uprating of housing assistance in line with inflation;
Retain the £20 uplift in Universal Credit introduced at the start of the pandemic, which the Government has indicated will end in April 2021(a move supported by over 63k people and counting who have signed a petition to the Government);
End the benefit cap and the two-child limit on benefits;
Invest in all children with an increase to child benefit
Extend Free School Meals to all families in receipt of Universal Credit and those with No Recourse to Public Funds
The full report ‘Local indicators of child poverty after housing costs, 2018/19’, as well as tables with local data, are available at: www.endchildpoverty.org.uk
THE PICTURE IN SCOTLAND
Child poverty has risen in nearly every Scottish local authority and Westminster constituency since 2014/15, according to research published today by the End Child Poverty coalition.
The new data shows the scale of the challenge faced by UK, Scottish and local government if commitments to end child poverty in Scotland are to be met and the promise to level up opportunities for children across the UK realised.
The research by Loughborough University shows that, even before the pandemic, levels of child poverty in Scotland ranged from one in seven children in the Shetland Islands to nearly one in three in Glasgow, once housing costs are taken into account. The varying impact of housing costs on levels of child poverty in different parts of the country is highlighted.
The data shows London boroughs and parts of Birmingham dominating the list of UK local authorities where child poverty is highest – however the campaigners say that there can be no room for complacency in Scotland.
They highlight that the impact of poverty on children is well documented with children from low income families more likely to experience worse physical and mental health; do less well in school; and have fewer opportunities in the future.
The coalition is calling on the UK Government to recognise the scale of the problem and its impact on children’s lives. They are urging UK Ministers to set out an ambitious plan to use Westminster powers to tackle child poverty across the UK, and are asking the Holyrood government to build on the Scottish child poverty delivery plan already in place.
They welcome the new Scottish child payment which will see eligible children under six entitled to £10 per week additional support from February 2021, with all under 16s benefitting by the end of 2022.
However they say that just to stop child poverty rising will require a doubling in the value of the new payment, and that families need urgent cash support now to bridge the gap until it’s roll out.
The report is based on data published by the Department for Work and Pensions in March 2020, and on estimates of the effect of housing costs on poverty rates produced by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, based on survey evidence.
Earlier this year, Boris Johnson was rebuked by the statistics watchdog for his repeated misuse of child poverty statistics. The Statistics Authority upheld a complaint from the End Child Poverty coalition judging that on three separate occasions his statements on child poverty were ‘incorrect’.
Speaking on behalf of members of End Child Poverty in Scotland, John Dickie, said: “The Prime Minister must urgently face up to the true extent of child poverty across the UK rather than resorting to his own inaccurate statistics. An ambitious plan to put this shameful situation right would be transformational for millions of children in Scotland and across the UK.
“As a matter of urgency we are calling on the Chancellor not to go ahead with planned cuts to Universal Credit which would see families lose out on £1000 a year. Given today’s data, this cut is unconscionable.”
Mr Dickie also called for more action from government in Scotland: “Here in Scotland the Holyrood government’s child poverty delivery plan and prioritisation of the new Scottish child payment are hugely welcome.
“But these new figures highlight the importance of keeping housing costs affordable, the importance of reviewing the value of the Scottish child payment and the urgent need to use existing payment mechanisms, like local authority school clothing grants, to provide extra financial support to families right now.”
End Child Poverty is calling for an urgent UK Government plan to end child poverty including:
Uprating of housing assistance in line with inflation;
Retaining the £20 uplift in Universal Credit introduced at the start of the pandemic, which the Government has indicated will end in April 2021(retaining the uplift is supported by over 63k people who have signed a petition to the UK Government);
Ending the benefit cap and the two-child limit on benefits;
Investing in all children with an increase to child benefit
The full report ‘Local indicators of child poverty after housing costs, 2018/19’, as well as tables with local data, are available at: www.endchildpoverty.org.uk
Children living in poverty, below 60% median income after housing costs, by Scottish local authority
Local authority
Number
Percentage
Percentage point change (2015-19)
2014/15
2018/19
2014/15
2018/19
Aberdeen City
6439
7471
19.2%
21.5%
2.3
Aberdeenshire
7622
7938
15.6%
16.1%
0.5
Angus
4253
4608
21.6%
24.0%
2.4
Argyll and Bute
2876
3056
21.2%
23.4%
2.2
City of Edinburgh
14145
15295
18.8%
19.5%
0.7
Clackmannanshire
2250
2409
24.8%
26.8%
2.0
Dumfries and Galloway
5610
6141
23.4%
26.2%
2.8
Dundee City
5812
6540
24.5%
27.3%
2.8
East Ayrshire
5250
5899
24.8%
27.9%
3.1
East Dunbartonshire
2899
3109
15.7%
16.1%
0.5
East Lothian
4188
4489
22.3%
23.3%
1.0
East Renfrewshire
2791
2940
15.4%
15.2%
-0.2
Falkirk
6555
6929
23.1%
24.5%
1.4
Fife
15390
16993
24.0%
26.3%
2.4
Glasgow City
26146
31823
27.0%
31.8%
4.8
Highland
8637
9054
21.5%
23.0%
1.6
Inverclyde
2904
3013
22.1%
23.8%
1.7
Midlothian
3713
4068
22.8%
23.2%
0.4
Moray
3480
3617
21.0%
22.4%
1.5
Na h-Eileanan Siar
768
847
17.3%
19.5%
2.2
North Ayrshire
5895
6448
25.2%
28.3%
3.0
North Lanarkshire
15503
16528
24.4%
26.2%
1.8
Orkney Islands
691
779
19.8%
21.9%
2.1
Perth and Kinross
5013
5403
20.4%
22.2%
1.7
Renfrewshire
6083
6958
20.2%
23.0%
2.8
Scottish Borders
4132
4544
21.6%
23.9%
2.3
Shetland Islands
549
608
12.8%
14.4%
1.6
South Ayrshire
4167
4404
23.3%
25.0%
1.7
South Lanarkshire
12083
12799
22.0%
23.2%
1.2
Stirling
3168
3285
20.5%
21.3%
0.8
West Dunbartonshire
3861
4310
24.6%
27.4%
2.8
West Lothian
7632
8380
21.7%
23.7%
1.9
Child poverty, % of children below 60% median income, before (BHC) and after (AHC) housing costs, by Scottish local authority
2018/19
2018/19
BHC
AHC
percentage point difference
between BHC and AHC
Aberdeen City
14.9%
21.5%
6.6
Aberdeenshire
10.4%
16.1%
5.7
Angus
17.6%
24.0%
6.4
Argyll and Bute
17.3%
23.4%
6.1
City of Edinburgh
12.6%
19.5%
6.9
Clackmannanshire
20.8%
26.8%
6.0
Dumfries and Galloway
20.6%
26.2%
5.6
Dundee City
21.4%
27.3%
5.9
East Ayrshire
22.9%
27.9%
5.0
East Dunbartonshire
10.4%
16.1%
5.7
East Lothian
15.8%
23.3%
7.5
East Renfrewshire
10.0%
15.2%
5.2
Falkirk
18.1%
24.5%
6.4
Fife
20.5%
26.3%
5.8
Glasgow City
28.0%
31.8%
3.8
Highland
16.7%
23.0%
6.3
Inverclyde
17.7%
23.8%
6.1
Midlothian
15.7%
23.2%
7.5
Moray
16.1%
22.4%
6.3
Na h-Eileanan Siar
13.4%
19.5%
6.1
North Ayrshire
23.4%
28.3%
4.9
North Lanarkshire
20.6%
26.2%
5.6
Orkney Islands
15.6%
21.9%
6.3
Perth and Kinross
15.7%
22.2%
6.5
Renfrewshire
16.9%
23.0%
6.1
Scottish Borders
17.6%
23.9%
6.3
Shetland Islands
9.3%
14.4%
5.1
South Ayrshire
19.2%
25.0%
5.8
South Lanarkshire
17.2%
23.2%
6.0
Stirling
14.9%
21.3%
6.4
West Dunbartonshire
21.9%
27.4%
5.5
West Lothian
17.1%
23.7%
6.6
Child poverty, % of children below 60% median income after housing costs (AHC), by Westminster constituency
Parliamentary constituency
Number
Percentage
Percentage point change (2015-19)
2014/15
2018/19
2014/15
2018/19
Aberdeen North
3334
4087
22.0%
26.5%
4.5
Aberdeen South
1925
2322
13.9%
16.0%
2.1
Airdrie and Shotts
4151
4410
25.5%
27.2%
1.7
Angus
3320
3649
22.9%
25.7%
2.8
Argyll and Bute
2809
3021
20.6%
23.2%
2.5
Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
3913
4212
26.2%
28.6%
2.5
Banff and Buchan
3246
3365
20.1%
20.8%
0.7
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
3436
3886
22.4%
25.2%
2.8
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
2385
2546
23.1%
25.6%
2.5
Central Ayrshire
3630
3959
24.7%
27.0%
2.3
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
4294
4548
24.0%
25.9%
1.8
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
3398
3745
21.3%
23.3%
2.0
Dumfries and Galloway
3753
4058
24.3%
26.8%
2.5
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
3014
3310
21.2%
23.8%
2.6
Dundee East
3385
3607
21.5%
23.1%
1.7
Dundee West
3236
3801
24.6%
28.2%
3.6
Dunfermline and West Fife
3887
4342
21.1%
23.2%
2.1
East Dunbartonshire
2289
2292
16.2%
15.6%
-0.7
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
3242
3602
18.3%
20.3%
2.0
East Lothian
4172
5058
22.2%
26.2%
3.9
East Renfrewshire
3119
3326
17.2%
17.2%
0.0
Edinburgh East
2808
3088
21.6%
22.8%
1.2
Edinburgh North and Leith
2909
3116
19.0%
19.9%
0.9
Edinburgh South
2105
2180
14.7%
14.7%
0.0
Edinburgh South West
2884
3049
18.6%
19.2%
0.6
Edinburgh West
2432
2900
14.3%
15.8%
1.5
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
700
799
15.8%
18.4%
2.6
Falkirk
4274
4594
21.8%
23.8%
2.0
Glasgow Central
3859
5561
32.8%
41.3%
8.5
Glasgow East
4316
5313
27.1%
30.6%
3.5
Glasgow North
2473
2882
27.7%
31.2%
3.5
Glasgow North East
4150
4850
28.0%
33.4%
5.4
Glasgow North West
3672
4289
24.8%
29.0%
4.2
Glasgow South
3820
4350
26.4%
30.8%
4.4
Glasgow South West
4549
5298
28.0%
31.8%
3.9
Glenrothes
4390
4853
27.1%
29.8%
2.7
Gordon
2098
2550
11.5%
13.5%
2.0
Inverclyde
2818
2926
21.4%
23.2%
1.7
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
3697
3912
20.4%
21.5%
1.1
Kilmarnock and Loudoun
4091
4624
24.3%
27.6%
3.3
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
4706
5293
26.2%
29.2%
3.0
Lanark and Hamilton East
3673
3865
23.0%
23.8%
0.7
Linlithgow and East Falkirk
4885
5173
22.1%
22.5%
0.4
Livingston
4580
5152
21.2%
24.2%
3.1
Midlothian
3497
3843
21.4%
21.8%
0.4
Moray
3367
3552
20.4%
22.0%
1.6
Motherwell and Wishaw
4518
4821
26.2%
27.7%
1.5
North Ayrshire and Arran
3957
4237
24.8%
27.6%
2.8
North East Fife
2158
2402
18.9%
21.1%
2.3
Ochil and South Perthshire
3790
4031
21.2%
22.5%
1.3
Orkney and Shetland
1346
1470
17.3%
19.0%
1.7
Paisley and Renfrewshire North
2954
3421
18.7%
20.8%
2.0
Paisley and Renfrewshire South
2817
3380
19.8%
24.8%
5.0
Perth and North Perthshire
3438
3690
22.0%
23.8%
1.9
Ross, Skye and Lochaber
2399
2478
20.7%
22.3%
1.6
Rutherglen and Hamilton West
4491
4720
23.3%
24.4%
1.0
Stirling
3099
3202
20.0%
20.7%
0.7
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
1904
2139
10.2%
11.4%
1.2
West Dunbartonshire
3867
4305
24.7%
27.4%
2.7
About End Child Poverty
End Child Poverty is a coalition of organisations from civic society including children’s charities, child welfare organisations, social justice groups, faith groups, trade unions and others, united in our vision of a UK free of child poverty. For more details visit: www.endchildpoverty.org.uk
End Child Poverty members in Scotland include Aberlour, Action for Children, Barnardo’s Scotland, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, Children 1st, Close the Gap, Engender, One Parent Families Scotland, Oxfam Scotland, Poverty Alliance, and Save the Children.
The 20 UK constituencies with the highest increases in AHC (after housing costs) child poverty 2014/15 -2018/19
Constituency
% of children below 60% median income AHC
2014/15
2018/19
%age point increase
UK
28%
30%
2%
Middlesbrough
31.2%
47.2%
16.0%
Newcastle upon Tyne Central
31.7%
45.2%
13.5%
Birmingham Hodge Hill
40.5%
53.8%
13.4%
Bradford West
34.9%
47.8%
12.9%
Birmingham Ladywood
41.8%
54.5%
12.7%
Birmingham Yardley
32.4%
44.7%
12.4%
South Shields
28.2%
39.3%
11.1%
Bradford East
36.4%
46.9%
10.5%
Newcastle upon Tyne East
27.1%
36.8%
9.7%
Bolton South East
37.1%
46.7%
9.6%
Sedgefield
23.5%
33.0%
9.5%
Hartlepool
27.6%
37.1%
9.5%
Oldham West and Royton
38.5%
48.0%
9.4%
Gateshead
26.0%
35.3%
9.3%
Blackburn
38.1%
47.3%
9.2%
Jarrow
23.5%
32.6%
9.1%
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
24.2%
33.2%
9.0%
Manchester Gorton
38.6%
47.6%
9.0%
North Durham
24.3%
33.3%
9.0%
Easington
25.8%
34.6%
8.8%
The 20 UK constituencies with the highest AHC compared to BHC (before housing costs) poverty rates, 2018/19
Child Poverty Action Group awarded funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to remove barriers to learning for children from low-income backgrounds
Children in hard-up families are facing barriers to learning opportunities
Parents are increasingly asked to contribute to the costs of a school day
A £2 million National Lottery-backed project to support children’s learning and ease financial pressure on low-income parents has begun with 128 schools across the UK set to take action over the next three years.
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), working with project partners Children North East, will use the National Lottery funding to help schools remove the financial barriers to learning and participation that hold low-income children back, alongside easing the pressure that school-related costs place on struggling families.
The project will draw on previous work by both organisations that has helped schools to explore and address the impact of poverty on education.
Now, thanks to the National Lottery funding, UK Cost of the School Day will roll out to schools in Coventry, Neath Port Talbot, the London boroughs of Greenwich, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, as well as expanding to Moray in Scotland.
Through a structured, pupil-led approach, UK Cost of the School Day project staff will work with children and young people, families, teachers, school staff and local authorities to identify ‘cost barriers’ in each school – and to co-design ‘action plans’ to remove them.
Inclusion levels and changes in pupils’ experiences of school will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention throughout the first two years of the project, with the final year focussing on spreading changes that have a positive impact for pupils, beyond the initial 128 schools.
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said: “School days are supposed to be the best days of a child’s life, but instead for some children and their families, they can be a source of anxiety if there are extra and unexpected costs for parents.
“Nine children in every class of 30 are growing up in poverty and although school is free, increasing costs are putting a great strain on families, causing some children to miss out on aspects of school life.
“This is why we’re delighted with the funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. This project will help schools work out what they can do differently to help to bridge these gaps – by making small changes to school life, they can make a huge difference to a child.”
Pupils and staff in schools which have been involved in the earlier Children North East and CPAG in Scotland projects reported a range of cost-barriers to learning, including:
Subject costs (e.g. materials for Art, Home Economics, IT, and the cost of theatre trips for Drama)
Not having IT at home for homework
Lack of money for school trips
Lack of money for travel-to-school fares (or travel home from after school activities which end after the free bus has left)
Cost of buying past exam papers and other revision materials
Cost of hiring and maintaining a musical instrument
A range of bespoke changes were recommended by these projects, to stop financial exclusion at school, including:
Choosing more affordable school trips, subsidising trips and/ or allowing parents to pay for trips in instalments
Providing sibling discounts for fun events and trips
Removing curriculum costs for subjects like home economics and technology
Providing a starter pack for entry level pupils of bag, pencil case and stationery and setting up homework clubs with resources such as IT
Reviewing school uniform policies, recycling school uniform items, buying plain blazers and ironing on badges
Improved promotion of school clothing grants and free school meals
Sharing bus hire with nearby schools
Setting up breakfast clubs and breakfast boxes for pupils
Reducing or removing costs for after school clubs and activities
John Knights, Senior Head of the UK Portfolio at The National Lottery Community Fund, said:“Thanks to National Lottery players this project will support school children to be able to fully and equally take part in all aspects of school life.
“Importantly the project is putting young people in the lead to create solutions that reduce the stigma that they can feel and enable them to thrive.”
Michele Deans, Operations Director at Children North East said: “Children North East is enormously proud of our Poverty Proofing the School Day initiative and we’re delighted to be partnering with Child Poverty Action Group on this important work.
“We’re looking forward to using our combined expertise to support more schools across the UK and ensure that every pupil can fully participate in school, regardless of family income.”
The overall cost of a child over 18 years (including rent and childcare) is £150, 753 for a couple and £183,335 for a lone parent. But work doesn’t pay low-income families enough to meet a no-frills standard of living, new research from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows.Continue reading Working families falling short of minimum living standard
“claimants are often left flummoxed by how much – or how little – universal credit they will receive from one month to the next” – Alison Garnham, CPAG chief executive
Working people claiming universal credit are having their benefits capped when they shouldn’t be, and losing the effects of ‘work allowances’ worth up to £258 per month simply because of the dates on which their paydays and universal credit ‘assessment periods’ happen to fall, according to new evidence from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). Continue reading Universal Credit flaws leaving families in debt, says Child Poverty Action Group
More than one in three children grow up in poverty in parts of Scotland
Campaigners call for rethink of UK benefits cuts
The End Child Poverty coalition has published a new child poverty map covering Scotland and the rest of the UK. The latest figures reveal that poverty affects children in every part of Scotland, with as many as 34% of children living in poverty in some local authority areas – compared to just one in ten in others.
Across the UK more than three and a half million children are living in poverty, with 220,000 of them living here in Scotland.
Local child poverty estimates are broken down by local authority, parliamentary constituency and ward and show huge variation across the country.
Members of End Child Poverty in Scotland, including Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, Barnardos Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) Children1st and the Poverty Alliance are calling for urgent action to be taken at UK, Scottish and local government level.
The coalition is calling on the Chancellor to use the upcoming Autumn Statement to end the freeze on children’s benefits, and reverse the sharp cuts being introduced to in-work benefits under Universal Credit. They warn that the current benefits freeze means that as prices rise, low income families find it increasingly hard to pay for basic essentials at the same time as cuts to Universal Credit are pushing more working families below the poverty line.
In Scotland the campaigners are calling on Holyrood and local government to make sure the proposed Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill addresses poverty at local level.They believe that the Bill, which will enshrine the Scottish Government’s ambition to eradicate child poverty by 2030, should explicitly set out and support the role of local government and its community planning partners in tackling child poverty.
John Dickie, Director of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland said: “There’s no doubt that many of the key drivers of child poverty are UK wide and if the new Prime Minister is serious about supporting families then decisive action must be taken to end the freeze on children’s benefits and reverse sharp cuts to in-work support under Universal Credit.
“But this new map also makes it clear that child poverty plays out in different ways at local level. Local authorities and their partners know their communities and are in a great position to work with local people to prevent poverty. Many are already doing important work to make sure local childcare, housing and employability policies are working for low income families.
The new Scottish child poverty legislation must now be drafted so as to ensure all local authorities are supported in law to take a strategic approach, and that all levels of government are pulling in the same direction – towards a Scotland free from child poverty.”
Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “The latest map of child poverty across Scotland reflects the experience of our services working with families on low income day in, day out.
“There is much good work taking place to support these children and families but given their financial situation changes in benefits that reduce income have a damaging effect on parents and children. To address these challenges Barnardo’s Scotland works in partnership with local authorities and public bodies in many areas. We recognise the key role they have in the ambition to eradicate poverty and believe that a strategic approach to tackling poverty at the local level should be a key part of the new Child Poverty Bill as well as support to implement this duty”.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said: “Poverty in Scotland continues to harm the lives of children across Scotland, as this new map shows. Living on a low income not only affects their well-being now, but can have a negative impact in the future. This is an unnecessary situation and one that requires urgent attention.
“The forthcoming Scottish Child Poverty Bill and the Social-Economic Duty should begin to focus more action on the way that we support people at the local level. However, these figures also serve to highlight the damaging impact that cuts to social security benefits by the UK Government have had on many Scottish families. If Theresa May wants to signal a new direction for her Government, then these cuts should be reversed.”
Alison Todd, Chief Executive of Children 1st, Scotland’s National Children’s Charity said: ““Many of the children and families we support are becoming increasingly caught in a complex poverty trap which includes housing costs, trying to meet the costs of enabling their children to take part in school activities and being isolated from opportunities. By working in genuine partnership with families experiencing poverty, local authorities can make a real difference in these and many other areas to help lift children out of poverty.”
Scotland
Percentage of children in poverty (after housing costs)
Heart of Midlothian have scored with anti-poverty campaigners after the Gorgie team became the first football club in Scotland to pay all staff the living wage.
The decision will see all club employees paid at least £7.85 per hour – £1.35 more than the national minimum wage.
Hearts currently top their league by a wide margin and a return to the top flight at the first time of asking looks inevitable. Off the park, the club is doing things right too – and with their profile sky high it’s hoped that where Hearts lead, others will follow.
The Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative was launched in April to provides support and advice to organisations. It’s delivered by The Poverty Alliance, and director Peter Kelly has welcomed Hearts’ initiative. He said: “Almost two in three children in poverty in Scotland live in a household where someone works, and the living wage is a vital tool in lifting people out of in work poverty.
“Football clubs have an important role in communities across Scotland. With thousands of people turning out every week to support their local clubs, they can play an important leadership role, not only for fans but for the businesses they work with.
“I hope that more clubs will follow Heart of Midlothian’s example but not only giving their staff a pay rise this Christmas, but by showing real leadership on this issue on and off the pitch.”
A Heart of Midlothian spokesperson said the move was in keeping with the club’s values. “Heart of Midlothian Football Club is delighted to be given accreditation to become a living wage employer.
“The club feels that implementing the living wage is entirely in keeping with the values that we hold dear as Edinburgh’s oldest football club. Since revealing our intention to implement the living wage the club has received widespread backing from both our supporters and sponsors.”
More than 70 employers are now accredited as paying the living wage, but there’s a long way to go – in Scotland, it’s estimated that at least 414,000 workers are currently paid below the living wage.
Figures released by the Campaign to End Child Poverty show that 29% of children living in the Forth ward live in poverty, and campaigners believe that these already appalling figures will worsen as welfare reforms bite.
Research figures released on 15 February show that nearly all – 27 out of 32 – local authorities in Scotland have council wards where over 20% of their children live in poverty, and projections by both Government and the Institute for Fiscal Studies expect the number of children growing up in poverty to significantly worsen amidst UK benefit and welfare cuts.
The Campaign to End Child Poverty, a coalition of anti-poverty and children’s charities, has published up to date figures showing rates of child poverty across every local authority, constituency and ward.
It’s a depressingly familiar picture, and it’s absolutely no surprise to see areas like Forth (29%), Leith (28%) and Sighthill/Gorgie (35%, or more than one in three children) at the top (or bottom) of the Edinburgh league table, while at the opposite end of the scale come Inverleith (10%), Colinton/Fairmilehead (9%) and Meadows/Morningside at just 5%.
The statistics, compiled from mid-2012 data, are believed to be the most up-to-date local data on child poverty and they show that there are unacceptably high levels of child poverty in every part of Scotland. However, campaigners are stressing that action by local and national Government in Scotland can make a huge difference in minimising family hardship.
John Dickie, speaking on behalf of Scottish members of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, said: “These latest figures show low-income families both in and out of work have to some extent been protected through recession by benefits and tax credit support. But the hidden picture is far more sinister as the current ripping away of that support is forecast to drive tens of thousands of children into poverty across Scotland in the coming years”.
Recent forecasts indicate that at least 65,000 more children in Scotland will be living below the breadline by the end of the decade.
Back in 1999, politicians promised to end child poverty by 2020 – these latest figures show just how far we’ve still got to go. The government says it remains committed to eradicating child poverty by 2020, however: “Helping children overcome poverty will make a huge difference not only to their lives but to the lives of their families, communities and to society as a whole. Ending child poverty means tackling a wide range of complex issues to improve children’s chances in life and empowering families to move themselves out of poverty for good.
“There are challenges ahead, but the Coalition’s Programme for Government made clear its commitment to ending child poverty by 2020. Success depends on finding the best long-term solutions to tackling child poverty and the national strategy sets out how the Government proposes to tackle child poverty in the forthcoming years.”
The UK is one of the richest countries in the industrialised world, and yet one in three of our children is living in poverty. Whatever your political persuasion, that just can’t be right.
