UK Government must scrap the unfair two-child limit at the Budget, say leading children’s charities
Since the Labour party took office on 4th July, and by the time the Budget is announced, a staggering 12,500* children have been plunged into poverty due to the two-child limit on benefit payments. This shocking surge adds to the 1.6 million children already suffering under this unnecessary policy.
Leading children’s charities (the End Child Poverty Coalition, Save the Children, Action for Children, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Centre for Young Lives, Gingerbread, Barnardo’s and the National Children’s Bureau) have joined together to call on the government to include scrapping the two-child limit in the Budget on 30th October. Two of these organisations, Save the Children and CPAG, are also assisting the government with evidence gathering ahead of the publication of the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025.**
These charities are supported by the 120 members of the End Child Poverty Coalition, an alliance of national, regional and local anti-poverty organisations, united in the view that child poverty in the UK can be addressed via government action.
Joseph Howes, CEO of Buttle UK and Chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition said: ‘The two-child limit must be scrapped: children cannot wait any longer for government action.
“We don’t say only two children in a family can go to school, or that the third sibling cannot receive hospital treatment, so why do we limit benefit payments to only two children? By scrapping this policy, this government would be recognised as one that turns the tide on rising levels of child poverty across the UK’.
Victoria Benson, CEO of Gingerbread said: ‘Scrapping the two-child limit is a quick and cost-effective way to lift children out of poverty and it’s disappointing that our Government hasn’t committed to doing this.
“The majority of families hit by the two-child limit are single parent families who are already almost twice as likely to be living in poverty, compared to couple parent families.
“There is no doubt it is a cruel policy that has done little to meet its aim of increasing employment levels and yet it has left hundreds of thousands of single parent households in poverty.
“If our Government wants to tackle child poverty it must scrap the two child limit as soon as possible.’
Becca Lyon, Head of Child Poverty for Save the Children UK, said:‘The time for action on the two-child limit to benefits is now and the UK Government must scrap this cruel policy.
“Children cannot wait any longer to receive the same amount of money as their siblings. Our society should be one where being born after your siblings shouldn’t exclude you from support. These are political choices, and the Budget is a chance for the UK Government to right the record for thousands of children.”
The two-child limit to benefit payments is an unfair policy which limits the amount of money families in receipt of social security payments receive for the third or subsequent child born after April 2017. Families affected by it miss out on up to £3455 per child per year.
The policy pushes families into poverty. Recent analysis published by CPAG has shown that for every day this policy remains in place, 109 children are being pulled into poverty.* End Child Poverty Coalition analysis has shown there is a strong positive correlation between child poverty figures and the number of children living in families impacted by the two-child limit.***
Unless this issue is urgently addressed, the government’s upcoming Child Poverty Strategy will fall short of delivering meaningful change. Lifting the two-child limit is a critical step towards to halting the harmful cycle of deprivation and despair.
Children can no longer wait for change. The ‘sibling tax’ must be scrapped.
More than 120 organisations from across Scotland are urging First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to double the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s Programme for Government.
The campaigners say the 1 in 4 children living in poverty in Scotland cannot wait.
In an open letter the End Child Poverty coalition is calling on The First Minister to “do the right thing” to help thousands of poverty-stricken children and families.
The letter in full:
Dear First Minister,
As a broad coalition of national organisations, community groups, academics, trade unions and faith groups, we are writing to you to urge you to use the upcoming Programme for Government to commit to doubling the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s budget.
We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling child poverty, evidenced in the setting of statutory child poverty targets, introducing the Scottish Child Payment and the upcoming incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These steps have laid the foundation for tackling child poverty in Scotland and we have been delighted that they have been supported across Scotland’s political spectrum.
This cross-party agreement was also evident in May’s Holyrood elections, when all Scotland’s five main political parties committed to doubling the Scottish Child Payment. Such political consensus is welcome, and provides the opportunity for your government to act quickly and decisively in doubling the payment now.
To do so would provide a lifeline to families who are struggling to stay afloat. Even before Covid-19, people across Scotland were being swept up in a rising tide of poverty, with child poverty rising in every Scottish local authority. And the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities in Scotland and pulled many more people – particularly women, disabled people, and Black and minority ethnic people – into hardship.
With women’s poverty being inextricably linked to child poverty, the pandemic’s impact has pulled children across Scotland ever deeper into poverty. It has hit lone parents – the overwhelming majority of whom are women – particularly hard, a group already disproportionately affected by years of social security cuts.
Unlocking people from this poverty requires long-term work to tackle the structural inequalities around the labour market – particularly for women, disabled people and Black and minority ethnic people – and it will also require action like further expanding childcare provision. But we also need action now to boost incomes in the short term.
Every level of government has a duty to boost incomes where it can, and we are clear that the UK Government must scrap its planned and unjust £20 Universal Credit cut. But just as the UK Government has a moral responsibility to do the right thing, so too does the Scottish Government have a moral responsibility to use all of the powers at its disposal to loosen the grip of poverty on people’s lives.
We have the powers, we have the urgent need, and we have the cross-party consensus to double the Scottish Child Payment. If your government is to truly make ending child poverty a ‘national mission’, and if we are to ensure that a more just Scotland emerges from the pandemic, then we must not delay. Children growing up in the grip of poverty right now – as well as their parents and care-givers – simply cannot endure until the end of this Parliament to be unlocked from poverty. Their lives and life chances are too important for this action to wait.
The evidence is clear that if it is doubled now, it will represent the single most impactful action that could be taken to help meet the interim child poverty targets in 2023, and would signal that ending child poverty will be a defining priority for this Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. If it is not, more and more children will be pulled into poverty and the opportunity to meet the interim child poverty targets will be missed. Under the current roll out plan and value, the Scottish Child Payment will reduce poverty in Scotland by between 2 and 3 percentage points. This could leave child poverty rates as high as 26% in 2023/24, when the interim target in legislation for that year is 18%. We cannot allow that to happen.
We therefore urge your government to do the right thing, to capitalise on the cross-party consensus that already exists, and to commit to doubling the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s budget. We look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
Peter Kelly, Director, Poverty Alliance
Claire Telfer, Head of Scotland, Save the Children
Paul Carberry, Director for Scotland, Action for Children
SallyAnn Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Aberlour
John Dickie, Director, CPAG Scotland
Martin Crewe, Director, Barnardo’s Scotland
Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland
Satwat Rehman, Director, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS)
Amy Woodhouse, Joint Interim CEO, Children in Scotland
Christine Carlin, Scotland Director, Home-Start UK
Clare Simpson, Manager, Parenting Across Scotland
Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap
Polly Jones, Head of Scotland, The Trussell Trust
Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children 1st
Eilidh Dickson, Policy and Parliamentary Manager, Engender
Hugh Foy, Director, Xaverians UK Region
Russell Gunson, Director, IPPR Scotland
Dr Patrycja Kupiec, CEO, YWCA Scotland – The Young Women’s Movement
The Rt Hon Lord Wallace of Tankerness QC (Jim Wallace), Moderator of the General Assembly, The Church of Scotland
Emma Cormack, Chief Executive Officer, The Health Agency
Gillian Kirkwood, Chief Executive, Y sort it Youth Centre
Agnes Tolmie, Chair, Scottish Women’s Convention
Linda Tuthill, CEO, The Action Group
Steven McCluskey, CEO, Bikes for Refugees
Trishna Singh OBE, Director, Sikh Sanjog
Professor Adrian Sinfield, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, University of Edinburgh
Jimmy Wilson, CEO, FARE Scotland
Ian Bruce, Chief Executive, Glasgow CVS
Revd Gary Noonan, Minister, Houston and Killellan Kirk
Jacqui Reid, Project Lead, EBI Unites
Innes McMinn, Manager, Independent Living Support
Suzanne Slavin, CEO, Ayr Housing Aid Centre
Fiona Rae, Interim Chief Executive, Community Food Initiatives North East
Mhairi Snowden, Director, Human Rights Consortium Scotland
Juliet Harris, Director, Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights
Tressa Burke, CEO, Glasgow Disability Alliance
Martin Wilkie-McFarlane, Director, Wellhouse Housing Association
Morna Simpkins, Scotland Director, MS Society
Kara Batchelor, Operations Manager, Alexander’s Community Development
Murray Dawson, Chief Executive, Station House Media Unit
Ashli Mullen, Creative Director, Friends of Romano Lav
Professor John McKendrick, Co-Director of the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University
Justina Murray, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol
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.”
“the pandemic has pulled families even deeper into poverty, while many more have been swept into poverty for the first time. A rising tide of child poverty now threatens to overwhelm many in our communities.”
John Dickie, Child Poverty Action Group Scotland
All political parties in Scotland should commit to at least doubling the value of the new Scottish Child Payment to stem the rising tide of child poverty, a coalition of anti-poverty groups, children’s charities and women’s organisations have urged today.
The End Child Poverty coalition in Scotland made the call in A Manifesto for Ending Child Poverty: Our Priorities for the 2021 Scottish Parliament Election, launched today, in which it set out its key asks ahead of the Holyrood elections in May.
While warmly welcoming the new £10 per week per child benefit for low income families – due to begin its roll out for under 6s next month – the manifesto warns that it will not go far enough in helping to meet Scotland’s child poverty reduction targets. By increasing the payment to £20 per week, the coalition say, at least another 20,000 children could be lifted out of poverty.
As well as doubling the Scottish Child Payment, the coalition are also calling for all parties to commit to:
• Bolstering other support for low income families, including by increasing the value of School Clothing Grants and Best Start Grants;
• Ensuring crisis support is adequate and accessible, including by investing in the Scottish Welfare Fund;
• Guaranteeing holistic whole family support to all families needing help;
• Supporting migrant children and caregivers, including increasing financial support to families with No Recourse to Public Funds;
• Setting out a child poverty-focused labour market policy, including action to tackle the gender pay gap.
Launching the manifesto, John Dickie (Director, CPAG in Scotland) said: “Even before Covid-19, almost one in four children in Scotland were growing up in the grip of poverty.
“Now, the pandemic has pulled families even deeper into poverty, while many more have been swept into poverty for the first time. A rising tide of child poverty now threatens to overwhelm many in our communities.
“That’s why we have set out this range of measures that would help to stem that tide, by putting much-needed cash into the pockets of families who are struggling to stay afloat. We urge all political parties to commit to the action we’ve set out, and to use the next Scottish Parliament to loosen the grip of poverty on the lives of Scotland’s children.”
Anna Ritchie Allan (Executive Director, Close the Gap), said: ““The existing inequalities women face in the labour market means they’ve been hardest hit by COVID-19 job disruption.
“The pandemic has starkly illuminated the link between women’s in-work poverty and child poverty. Women who were already struggling are now under enormous financial pressure as they and their families are pushed into further and deeper poverty.
“The End Child Poverty Coalition manifesto calls on Scotland’s political parties to commit to bold action to reduce child poverty. Close the Gap welcomes the focus on substantive action to address women’s inequality in the labour market including tackling women’s low pay and boosting the provision of funded childcare.
“Ensuring economic recovery policymaking prioritises measures to build a labour market that works for women is a necessary step in tackling the growing child poverty crisis.”
The manifesto – along with a summary version – can be found here.
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
Scottish Government sets targets to reduce and ultimately end child poverty
The Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill was published yesterday and the new legislation will see Scotland become the only part of the UK with statutory targets in a bid to reduce the number of children experiencing the damaging effects of poverty by 2030.
The government will publish a three-year child poverty delivery plan by April 2018, which will be updated every five years, and annual reports to measure progress.
Equalities Secretary Angela Constance visited Fairy Job Mother, an innovative programme that helps 16-24 year olds into work, with 70% of those completing the programme finding employment, to mark the publication of the Bill.
Ms Constance said: “It’s utterly unacceptable that one in five children in Scotland live in poverty and this Bill sets out statutory targets to reduce and ultimately eradicate child poverty.
“Child poverty has been a systemic problem for decades. Tackling the immense challenge is an ambition all of Scotland – be that national and local government, health boards, businesses, the third sector or others – must work together to overcome.
“We’re absolutely committed to tackling the deep-rooted causes of child poverty, addressing the needs of those living in poverty today and preventing future generations from those circumstances.
“This Bill is a major step forward as we look to give our children the best start in life, and it establishes a framework by which we can be held to account for our efforts. We look forward to hearing the views of the Parliament and of stakeholders on the proposals.”
Members of the End Child Poverty (ECP) coalition have welcomed the introduction of the new Bill aimed at eradicating the scandal of child poverty in Scotland.
The Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill, which will now be considered by MSPs, establishes ambitious new targets for the reduction and eradication of child poverty and places a duty on the Scottish Government to produce and report on delivery plans highlighting how those targets will be met. For the first time local authorities and health boards will also have a legal duty to report on the action they are taking to reduce child poverty.
Coalition members, which include Barnardo’s Scotland, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, Children First, the Poverty Alliance, One Parent Families Scotland and Children in Scotland had urged the Scottish Government to introduce legislation after the UK Government dismantled the UK Child Poverty Act 2010, scrapping the target to eradicate child poverty by 2020.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said: “The publication of this legislation is very welcome. Too many children in Scotland have their lives blighted both now and into their future as a result of poverty. By taking a more strategic approach and setting realistic targets, we can ensure that Scotland becomes a leader in tackling child poverty.”
Satwat Rehman, Director of One Parent Families Scotland said: “This is an important commitment by the Scottish Government. We look forward to working with them to improve a situation where 44 % of children in single parent families live in relative poverty. This will require an approach which integrates measures around social security & employability with childcare policy to stop that figure increasing over the next four years.
John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said: “This Bill is hugely welcome and could prove to be a turning point in the lives of more than 220,000 children living in poverty in Scotland today.
“The ambitious new targets and the legislative framework that underpins them will help ensure that child poverty remains high on the political agenda and that government is consistently held to account. We look forward to working with both the Scottish Government and Parliament to help identify the practical steps that must now be taken to make these ambitions a reality.”
Jackie Brock, Chief Executive of Children in Scotland said: “No child’s health, wellbeing and future life chances should be blighted by poverty, so we welcome this Bill as a positive step towards its reduction. As this Bill progresses through Parliament we will work with the Scottish Government, our network and members to ensure that the resulting legislation is as strong as it possibly can be. It must result in adequate resources to address the many complex issues associated with poverty such as inequalities in income, health, and attainment.”
Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland said: “We know from our work across Scotland that poverty is one of the main factors affecting children’s ability to thrive and achieve their potential. We welcome the fact that as a country we will have a clear target to end child poverty. We need to make sure that the legislation creates a situation where we are all clear what steps are being taken to do so”
Alison Todd, Chief Executive, Children 1st said: “In a Scotland that is the best place in the world for children to grow up, no child would go hungry, live in substandard accommodation that damages their health, or be prevented from joining in at school or in community activities because of financial hardship. By creating a framework to hold this and future governments to account for their efforts to eradicate child poverty, this Bill marks a crucial milestone in achieving that vision.”
Alison Johnstone MSP, Social Security spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, has welcomed publication of the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Bill and urged Ministers to focus on boosting families’ incomes. The Bill proposes a target that by 2030 fewer than 10 per cent of Scottish children are living in relative poverty. At the moment, in some parts of Scotland, a third of children live in relative poverty.
In recent months, the Green MSPs have secured a number of anti-poverty measures from the Scottish Government, including:
-A pledge to roll-out nationally Glasgow’s Healthier Wealthier Children scheme in which health visitors help vulnerable families access benefits to boost their incomes.
-A pledge to explore a Young Carer’s Allowance to help the estimated 30,000 carers under the age of 16, many of whom struggle financially.
-A pledge to review the funding formula for GP practices, as those in deprived communities with bigger workloads only receive £3.79 more per patient than those in affluent areas.
-A pledge to not use benefit sanctions in devolved employment programmes.
Green MSPs ran for election on a manifesto which pledged to use new powers over social security benefits to top-up Child Benefit by £5 a week. Research by the University of York shows that this would lift around 30,000 out of poverty, with around 200,000 children estimated to be in poverty currently.
Alison Johnstone, Social Security spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said: “Greens have made tackling child poverty a priority in this session of Parliament, and we’ve already pushed the Government to take action on a range of measures, most notably the pledge to expand the Healthier Wealthier Children scheme. We also continue to encourage them to consider a £5 a week top up of child benefit.
“The Child Poverty Bill is another good step forward but we need to go much further on boosting incomes in order to meet targets. We should consider creating duties for public bodies to deliver practical help, such as helping vulnerable families boost their incomes by helping them claim benefits to which they are entitled.
“I would also encourage the Government to consider additional measures. We need to know that reducing child poverty is not merely achieved by moving those just below the poverty line slightly above it. There is evidence to suggest that ‘the poverty gap’ is growing and that the average family in poverty is further below the poverty line than it has been previously.
“Green MSPs will engage constructively with the Bill and the forthcoming Social Security Bill, so that the scourge of child poverty is truly tackled.”
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)
