TACKLING CHILD POVERTY
Challenge Poverty Week: Thursday
Tag: child poverty
‘Child Poverty remains a key priority for Local Government’
Child poverty remains a key priority for Local Government. Read more from COSLA’S Children and Young People Spokesperson, speaking on Challenge Poverty Week 2026:
Child poverty continues to be a key priority for Local Government. Despite unprecedented financial challenges, local authorities remain firmly committed to our shared goal under the Verity House Agreement: tackling poverty — particularly child poverty — and delivering vital services and support to children and families in need.
Commenting, Councillor Tony Buchanan, COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People, said: “On Challenge Poverty Week, I would like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues across Local Government for the vital work they do every day to support our children – it is important that we can continue to recognise their dedication.
Child poverty is a cross-cutting issue that pervades across all council areas with latest figures estimating around 2 in 5 people in Scotland live in very deep poverty, meanwhile relative child poverty remains at 21%.
Local Government is at the frontline of tackling poverty. Every day, our councils work to boost incomes, provide vital services such as housing and transport, and deliver key interventions such as free school meals, and the Scottish Attainment Challenge.
However, we know we have more to do. COSLA will continue to call for evidence based whole‑family, community‑centred support, a balance between universal and targeted provision, and flexible and sustainable long-term funding so councils can build on and accelerate the vital work they already undertake to tackle poverty in their communities. COSLA will also continue to lobby for meaningful multi-year settlements for local government and our partners that enable preventative investment for children and families.
Despite the financial pressures facing councils, local authorities remain strongly committed to our shared priority under the Verity House Agreement to tackle poverty, particularly child poverty, and to deliver a range of services and support children and their families in need.
A holistic approach must be taken at the local and national level to ensure our approach is person-centred and utilises the lived experiences of local families, particularly those in priority groups, to overcome barriers and address specific challenges faced by those families within their community context. This requires adequate funding for local authorities, who are best placed to target provision for their local contexts.
Earlier this year COSLA published a white paper COSLA-White-Paper-Strengthening-Scotlands-Approach-To-Tackling-Poverty.pdf.
The paper sets out how Local Government is already helping to address the impacts of poverty through action on the housing emergency, delivering free school meals and funded early learning and childcare, supporting households affected by in-work poverty, and helping people overcome barriers such as a lack of affordable transport
Challenge Poverty Week 2026 runs from Monday 6th – Sunday 11th October with events taking place across Scotland. Including an Elected Members Seminar on Wednesday 7th October at 2pm hosted by Cllr Chalmers, Community Wellbeing Spokesperson.
250 NHS jobs for parents
Supporting work to help tackle child poverty
More than 250 paid NHS placements will be made available to parents across Scotland as part of Scottish Government efforts to eradicate child poverty.
The paid placements, covering roles such as porters, caterers, healthcare support workers, administration assistants, and assistant technical officers, will be available across 18 health boards.
With paid placements typically lasting between 6-18 months, the project is targeted at those facing the greatest risk of poverty – helping more parents to access employment in Scotland’s NHS.
On a visit to Kirklands HQ, NHS Lanarkshire, to mark the start of Challenge Poverty Week, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville met Mairead Doyle, who joined a similar employability programme with NHS Lanarkshire in 2024.
Since then, Ms Doyle has been promoted twice and is now employed in the Band 4 position of Management Secretary.
Ms Somerville said: “Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s top priority and we know that fair work in the NHS will offer a real route out of poverty for families.
“We are equipping parents with the skills and experience needed to have a long and successful career, with the opportunity for real progression, while strengthening the NHS workforce of the future.
“This project scales existing successful models already delivered by NHS boards and I’m pleased that we’re able to extend this opportunity to hundreds more families across the country.”
Commenting on the employability programme, past participant Ms Doyle said: “The Parental Employability Programme gave me the confidence and support I needed to return to work after several years away from employment.
“Through the programme I secured a role with NHS Lanarkshire and have since progressed to a Band 4 position. It has had a positive impact on both my career and my family, and I’m grateful for the opportunity it provided.’’
Since launching the NHS Lanarkshire Demonstrator Programme has supported 136 parents and people experiencing long-term unemployment, with more than 77% progressing into positive destinations, including directly into NHS employment. Outcomes have improved year on year, with their most recent programme achieving almost 88% positive destinations.
Jacqui Jones, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of HR at NHS Lanarkshire said: “The NHS is one of the largest employers in Scotland and employment is one of the strongest drivers of good health by creating opportunities for local parents and families to gain skills, experience and jobs.
“We are helping people thrive, building a workforce that reflects our communities, and making a positive difference to the health of Lanarkshire.”
Welcome to School backpacks for all P1 children next year
Providing every child with the best start to school
Around 47,000 children starting Primary One in the next academic year, 2027-28, will be the first to receive a Welcome to School backpack in a variety of colours, to help them start school feeling excited, supported and ready to learn.
Procurement of the first bags is now underway following engagement with children, families and teachers to ensure they provide the practical contents and equipment that will help cut the cost for families as children start school.
The bags will be lightweight, made of durable, recycled materials, have multiple versatile compartments and pockets, reflective piping for safety, and space for name tags and a window in which children can place a drawing to personalise their backpack. Each one will contain:
- a pencil case
- stationery including pens, pencils, coloured crayons and a notebook
- a water bottle
- resources to encourage reading, writing and maths practice at home
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan met children at Orbiston Community Hub in North Lanarkshire, who will be among the first to receive the bag, to work on designs they could personalise their bag with.
Ms McAllan said: “Every child and family should feel excited and ready for their first day of school, which is why the Scottish Government is offering Primary Ones their very own Welcome to School Bag, filled with things to help them learn.
“We worked with children, families and teachers to create the design and ensure it provides what a child needs as they take their first steps into school life.
“Building on the success of the Baby Box, alongside the School Clothing Grant, Best Start Grant School Age Payments, breakfast clubs and free school meals, the Welcome to School Bag will help ensure that no child’s start to school is determined by their family’s financial circumstances.
“This is an essential component of our determined focus to eradicate child poverty, which is why we have prioritised work during the first 100 days of Government to ensure the first bags reach children by the time they start school next year.”
Further investment to tackle child poverty in Scotland
Ensuring support is available where and when families need it
TEN charities will receive a share of a £20 million fund in 2026-27 to deliver wide ranging support to improve wellbeing, boost incomes, and help parents towards employment as part of the Scottish Government’s drive to eradicate child poverty.
The charities involved estimate that up to 35,000 families could benefit from the Scottish Government’s package of whole family support, spanning almost all of Scotland.
The beneficiaries include:
- Salvesen Mindroom Centre (Mindroom), which will expand its support into new areas of Scotland, such as Dundee, to pair parents of neurodivergent children with a Family Adviser to help boost incomes and improve children’s outcomes
- Home Start Caithness which will bring together nine organisations to provide one-step gateway to financial and wellbeing support in the region
- Borders Community Action who will work with 30 local charities under a new partnership to embed support in rural communities, where poverty can be harder to identify and the right support more difficult to access
- Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector which will coordinate a new partnership between more than 30 local organisations to deliver help specific to the needs of communities across the city
In Dundee, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville met with families of neurodivergent children to hear about the difference that effective support at point of need can make. Mindroom will use this funding to expand into new areas of Scotland.
Ms Somerville said: “We have made great strides in our ambitious mission to eradicate child poverty. Within the powers we have, we have boosted incomes while delivering a transformational cost of living support package.
“But we know that more needs to be done, which is why we are driving whole family support. This is about making sure that people can access the help they need easily, as simply as possible, and as quickly as possible.
“To remove barriers, we need to empower local charities and local people and bring them together with other services so that there are clear and easy ways to access the right support, in the right place and at the right time.
“I am proud that this ambitious programme, which we will deliver in partnership with charities across Scotland, does just that.”
CEO of Mindroom Alan Thornburrow said: “We see the benefits that whole family support brings to parents and children on a daily basis, so we are pleased to receive support from the Scottish Government to expand our services, including into Dundee.
“Neurodivergent children and their parents have historically found it challenging to access the right support, in the right place – but we are determined to be there for them, tailoring services to meet their individual circumstances, and giving children the best start in life in the process.
“This funding will help us do so on a larger scale, enabling us to reach more people in varied communities. We look forward to pressing ahead with this work.”
Children and families – Cost of Living Support Scotland
Information on benefits – Social Security Scotland
The funding comes from the Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund, announced as part of the latest Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, Bringing Hope,Building Futures, and, subject to confirmation during the annual Scottish budget process, it is expected to continue on an annual basis while the programme is in operation.
The 10 organisations that secured funding following a competitive application process are:
- Community Enterprise in Scotland Ayrshire
- Borders Community Action
- Early Years Scotland
- Citizens Advice Scotland
- Capital City Partnership
- Salvesen Mindroom Centre
- Big Hearts Community Trust
- Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector
- Home Start Caithness
- One Parent Families Scotland
A brighter future for every child
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.”
Supporting families with cost of living is ‘key focus’ of Scottish Government, says Swinney
Supporting families with the cost of living and eradicating child poverty will be a key focus of the Scottish Government, First Minister John Swinney has said.
Ahead of a visit to meet parents and children at a Bookbug session in Wester Hailes the First Minister said tackling the cost of living, ensuring people get support before reaching a crisis, and helping children and parents in the early years will be key priorities for the new Cabinet.
In March, the Scottish Government set out plans to drive further reductions in child poverty. This includes committing an additional £500,000 over two years to expand Bookbug, supporting a further 20,000 low-income families across Scotland.
Mr Swinney said: “Every child in Scotland deserves a future free from the scourge of poverty. It will be the defining mission of my government to support families with the cost of living and eradicate child poverty.
“Our policies are already helping to keep an estimated 100,000 children out of relative poverty this year – but we are determined to deliver truly ambitious change to reduce the cost of living.
“This includes expanding all year round childcare to all children from nine-months to the end of primary school, introducing a £2 nationwide cap on bus fares, increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 for under-ones and delivering comprehensive ‘Whole Family Support’ that wraps around families in their communities, helping break the cycle of poverty.”
Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “I am delighted to take on the role of Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing.
“I look forward to driving further progress on the work started in the last parliamentary term to eradicate child poverty, tackle the cost of living and accelerate the delivery of more affordable homes.
“Reducing child poverty in Scotland is at the heart of this government’s ambitious agenda for change and we will work across government, the parliament and with our much-valued third sector, to give families the safety and security they need.”
Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-31: Bringing Hope, Building Futures is the Scottish Government’s final statutory delivery plan under the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.
Child poverty campaigners respond to new IFS living standards report
“Scottish tax and benefit policies working to reduce child poverty … but progress falls far short of 2030 targets“
Responding to yesterday’s (2 April 2026) IFS Labour market, living standards and poverty trends in Scotland report the Director of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, John Dickie said: “As this IFS briefing makes clear child poverty is lower in Scotland than the UK as a whole as a result of very welcome devolved tax and benefit policies, not least the introduction of the Scottish child payment, as well as lower housing costs.
“But the bottom line is one in five of our children still live in poverty, far short of the 2030 target of fewer than one in ten agreed by all the Holyrood parties. As the IFS state clearly the most direct way for the next Scottish government to further reduce child poverty is to increase devolved benefits.
“That’s why we are calling on all the Holyrood parties to commit to immediately increase the Scottish child payment to £40 a week as the first step toward doubling it by the end of the Parliament.”
Mr Dickie continued: “The IFS analysis echoes what parents tell us – that a mix of improvements to benefits, labour market opportunities and public services are all needed to protect them and their children from poverty.
“The next Scottish government will need to go further on all three if it is serious about ending the scandal of child poverty in a rich country.”
Responding to concerns that increasing Scottish child payment might weaken incentives to work the campaigners point to recent evidence published by the London School of Economics that concluded there is no evidence that the Scottish child payment (SCP) has reduced labour supply and that “concerns that the SCP creates work disincentives are overplayed“.
Previous analysis by the Scottish government also found the Scottish Child Payment was ‘not negatively affecting labour market outcomes at scale in the economy‘.
Tackling poverty in Edinburgh
Education, Children and Families Convenor, Cllr James Dalgleish writes about work to address child poverty across schools and communities:
It has a been ten years since the introduction of our 1 in 5 Raising Awareness of Child Poverty campaign – ambitious and extensive work to tackle the stigma associated with poverty and to support families and children.
We built on this in 2018 with the rollout of our Making Education Equal for All framework, providing schools with practical guidance on how to help those in their communities living in poverty. I’m pleased that an updated version has just been launched.
A decade on and around 18,000 children and young people citywide are still living in poverty. It is hard to comprehend what this means day to day unless you’ve seen or experienced it first-hand. The tired faces of children starting the school day with an empty tummy, the endlessly forgotten school trip money – and on top of this the extra burden of shame, isolation and exclusion that living in poverty can bring.
It is unacceptable that this is Edinburgh’s reality and it is imperative that we continue to do everything we can to level the playing field for all children and young people.
It is positive that in the last ten years, the action we’ve taken has narrowed the poverty related attainment gap, helped more learners to take part in activities and to achieve, and supported families with their wellbeing and finances.
Reducing the cost of the school day – including removing/reducing the cost of uniform, trips and extra-curricular activities has been a priority. We went even further last year, when we removed the requirement for branded school uniform – minimising unnecessary costs and reducing pressure on family finances.
Our Active Schools teams provide extra-curricular sport activities, before and after school and at lunchtimes at no charge. We have also invested in musical instruments to enable more pupils to learn an instrument and to progress – it is fantastic that those who wouldn’t have done before, are now taking part in our ensembles.
I firmly believe that our schools should be a place of equity, where regardless of a child’s background, where or who they live with – they have every opportunity to achieve their goals and ambitions.
There is still a long way to go to remove poverty-related barriers. We are committed to doing all we can to make sure that all children and young people in Edinburgh have equal access and opportunities to participate in, and make the most of, their school experience – and every chance to succeed.
This article fist appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News
Anti-poverty campaigners call for a new Minimum Income Guarantee and a boost in Scottish Child Payment
LATEST POVERTY STATISTICS PUBLISHED
Campaigners have called for a Minimum Income Guarantee and an immediate increase in the Scottish Child Payment that will lift thousands out of poverty.
Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly was reacting to new Scottish Government figures on poverty and inequality.
He said: “Poverty is a profound injustice that robs people of what they need to build a decent life for themselves and a better future for our country. These figures show that MSPs in the next Scottish Parliament need to invest much more in the social foundation we all rely on.
“Because of changes in the way the figures have been worked out, we have to be cautious about the comparisons we make. But they show some welcome progress over the last few years, with the overall number of people in poverty falling by about 130,000 since 2021/22, and the number of children in poverty from 540,000 to 420,000.
“But we have serious concerns that those numbers could increase again, as people face yet another energy crisis and the prospect of rocketing living costs across the board.
“The figures show that there are 630,000 people in severe poverty – with children making up 150,000 of them. It is simply wrong that so many of our fellow citizens find themselves pushed so close to deprivation.”
The Poverty Alliance repeated its calls to boost the Scottish Child Payment to £55 a week.
Peter Kelly said: “Our new MSPs will have a legal responsibility to make sure that fewer than 10% of Scotland’s children are in poverty by 2030/31. Today’s figures show that 21% of our children are living with that daily injustice.
“We simply cannot allow this to continue. The Scottish Government can help by strengthening the support we give to households with children, and the UK Government can help by scrapping the unjust benefit cap.
“And over the course of the next Parliament, we will continue to build public support for real Living Wages and a Minimum Income Guarantee that will make sure everyone has what they need to use their talents for the benefit of themselves, their households, and all of us.”
Responding to today’s statistics on household incomes and poverty which show one in five children in Scotland are trapped in poverty, Chief Executive of Children First, Mary Glasgow said: “A small drop in child poverty does not change the urgent need for action to tackle Scotland’s childhood emergency and meet Scotland’s 2030 child poverty target.
“It is not acceptable that one in five children in Scotland are living in poverty. It has a devastating impact on children’s mental health, wellbeing, education and prospects that can last into adulthood. Reducing child poverty is an investment in Scotland’s future, improving public health, strengthening communities and reducing public costs in the long term.
“In the run up to the election, every political party must prioritise policies that support families, strengthen incomes and uphold Scotland’s commitment to eradicating child poverty.”
Commenting on today’s latest official poverty statistics, Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age said: “Today’s statistics show there are still too many pensioners living in poverty in Scotland.
“As the national charity supporting older people on low incomes, we know that older people are skipping meals, washing in cold water and not turning the heating on. This is wrong and a social injustice.
“As the Holyrood elections approach, all political parties must prioritise action to reduce pensioner poverty. This should start with a national strategy, a plan setting out the key actions to reduce poverty in older age and act as a map for how we will get there.
“They must also pledge to improve the social security support for older people on low incomes, and commit to supporting older people improve the energy efficiency of homes.
“We also urge the UK Government to introduce a social tariff for energy across the whole of the UK to reduce the cost of heating for older people on low incomes. The UK Government must also improve the take-up and adequacy of the payments they administer to older people.
“The levels of poverty in later life are too high in Scotland, and with around 1.7 million older people now in poverty across the UK, today’s figures must be a call to action.”
TRUSSELL commented: “It’s encouraging that child poverty is falling in Scotland. It shows the power of investing in social security.
“But it’s not acceptable that 1 in 5 children are locked in poverty. All parties must commit to decisive action to ensure every child has a decent start in life.”
Cara Hilton, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Trussell, said: “Today, the Family Resources Survey has revealed a heartbreaking injustice; persistently high numbers of people across Scotland are trapped in the grip of severe hardship.
“While the latest figures indicate that some people are getting back on their feet, the numbers of people facing hunger in our communities are still too high. As we find ourselves yet again facing uncertain times, we know that progress can be too easily undone. People just surviving could once again be pushed over the edge if the price of food and bills increases.
“Food banks in our community provided more than 220,000 food parcels in Scotland in 2025 – that’s 64% more than in 2015. These new figures from the government confirm that 500,000 people are facing hunger across Scotland. This isn’t right.
“With the Holyrood election just six weeks away, Trussell is calling on all political parties to commit to building a Scotland where everyone can afford the essentials and where every child has a decent start in life.
“This should include immediate investment to increase the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week, increasing to £55 by the end of the next Holyrood session. We need the Scottish government to build firmer foundations for people on the lowest incomes so all of us have the support we need to thrive.”
Latest poverty statistics published
Two poverty statistics publications were released by the Scottish Government yesterday. Poverty and income inequality in Scotland 2022-25 covers the period up to March 2025, presenting poverty rates for children, working-age adults and pensioners.
Methodological changes have been applied to the statistics in this report as the Department for Work and Pensions have linked the source data from the Family Resources Survey to administrative records on social security benefits.
As a result, there have been revisions to previously published poverty rates back to 2021/22, and further revisions are planned as part of on-going development work. Users should therefore note that caution is needed when interpreting the statistics to assess trends over time.
The most recent three-year averages for 2022-25 show that:
- Around 17 per cent of Scotland’s population (940,000 people) were living in relative poverty after housing costs. This was 15 per cent (840,000 people) before housing costs. Poverty rates for Scotland’s population have been broadly stable for around a decade.
- Children are more likely to be in relative poverty: 21 per cent of children are in relative poverty after housing costs, compared to 13 per cent of pensioners and 18 per cent of working-age adults. Children in relative poverty are more likely to be in a working household; 75% of children in relative poverty have at least one person working in the household while 25% have no-one in household working.
- The median household income before housing costs was £707 per week and after housing costs was £636. Prior to 2021/22, median incomes had increased slowly but steadily since the recession in 2008/09.
Persistent Poverty in Scotland 2010-24 presents statistics on people who live in relative poverty for at least three out of the last four years. The latest figures show that around one in ten people in Scotland (11 per cent) were in persistent poverty, after housing costs, between 2020 and 2024. Persistent poverty rates were highest for children (17 per cent), and lower for working-age adults (10 per cent) and pensioners (9 per cent).
Persistent poverty is an important measure because the longer someone is in poverty, the more it impacts on their health, well-being, and overall life chances. These impacts can affect an individual throughout their lifetime.
Further information on the two publications is set out below:
This Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland publication contains statistics on poverty, child poverty, poverty risks for various equality characteristics, household income and income inequality for Scotland. This report also includes statistics on household food security. The data comes from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Family Resources Survey (FRS), Households Below Average Income dataset. Comparable UK income and poverty figures are published on the same day by DWP.
Statistics from this report have been revised, back to 2021/22, due to a methodology change. The FRS is now linked to administrative data, which means the majority of FRS responses for benefit income and tax credits have been replaced with data from DWP’s administrative sources. Further years of linked estimates back to survey year 2018/19 will be published in summer 2026 in a follow up release. The absolute poverty measure has also been amended as a result of the data linkage; full details can be found in the report.
This publication has been designated as official statistics in development in line with the other devolved administrations in order to acknowledge the changes to the methodology and that there will be a period of flux as further methodological changes are implemented. Future changes are announced by DWP in their release strategy, which is updated periodically as plans develop. A statistical blog has been published on the Scottish Government website to inform users of developments.
Figures are presented in the main report are three-year averages of each estimate. Three-year estimates are better to identify trends over time. The four child poverty measures in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act are based on single-year figures. These statistics are available in the reference tables and in the child poverty summary. The single-year estimates exhibit more year-on-year fluctuation compared to the three-year averages and should be interpreted with caution.
This Persistent Poverty in Scotland publication presents estimates of the proportion of people in Scotland who live in persistent poverty. The data comes from the Understanding Society Survey, and the latest statistics cover the period from 2020 to 2024. Statistics from this report are badged as official statistics.
Poverty statistics are used by the Scottish Government and other organisations to monitor progress in tackling poverty and child poverty, and to analyse what drives poverty and what works for tackling poverty and income inequality.
Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Key poverty measures:
Relative poverty: A person is in relative poverty if their current household income is less than 60% of the current UK median. Relative poverty statistics fall if income growth at the lower end of the income distribution is greater than overall income growth.
Absolute poverty: A person is in absolute poverty if their current household income is less than 60% of the UK median in a given reference year, adjusted for inflation. Absolute poverty statistics fall if low income households are seeing their incomes rise faster than inflation. Due to the structural break introduced by the data linkage the reference year for absolute poverty has been moved from 2010/11 to 2024/25.
Combined low income and material deprivation identifies the proportion of children in households with incomes below 70% of the median UK income and going without certain basic essential goods and services.
Persistent poverty identifies the number of people in relative poverty for three or more out of four years. People who live in poverty for several years may be affected by it throughout their lifetime.
The poverty publications present poverty figures before and after housing costs. Before-housing-costs figures are a basic measure of household income from earnings and benefits. After-housing-costs figures subtract spending on rents, mortgage interest payments and other unavoidable housing costs from this basic income. In Scotland, poverty statistics focus mainly on poverty after housing costs.
Further information on income and poverty statistics within Scotland is available.