Press Story

New child poverty figures released by the Scottish government today reveal a dispiriting reality that 22 per cent of children are still trapped in poverty. While far below the UK rate of 31 per cent, this is a significant miss against the Scottish government's target.

The government had set an interim target of lowering child poverty to 18 per cent by 2023-24. Today’s statistics mark the first assessment of the impact of the much-publicised Scottish Child Payment. However, the statistics also make clear that without greater investment, the government will continue to fall short in delivering for Scotland’s children.

Earlier this week, IPPR Scotland released a briefing paper warning that the government is on track to miss its legally binding 2030 child poverty target unless it provides more social security support to families.

Dave Hawkey, senior research fellow at IPPR Scotland, said:

“No child deserves to live in poverty, yet these figures highlight the work still to be done to deliver the First Minister’s number one priority of eradicating child poverty.

“As the modelling we published earlier this week confirmed, devolved policies – especially the Scottish Child Payment – will continue to make a positive difference and we forecast that as a result, child poverty in Scotland will be significantly lower than the rest of the UK.

“Yet, the same modelling also shows that, on the basis of current social security policies and highly optimistic assumptions about parental employment, the Scottish Government will almost certainly miss its legally binding 2030 targets, possibly by some distance.

“The UK Chancellor’s Spring Statement provided a stark example of what happens when budgets are balanced by cutting welfare. The DWP estimates that over 50,000 more children could be pulled into poverty due to measures recently announced by the UK government. While changes to disability benefits in England and Wales don’t directly affect devolved benefits, they will put huge pressure on the Scottish budget, making our 2030 child poverty targets even harder to meet.

“It is incumbent on the Scottish Government to bring forward a clear plan with costed policies that will ensure Scotland meets its 2030 targets. Alongside support for parents to find good sustainable jobs, this will require investing more in measures – such as the Scottish Child Payment - that directly support the living standards of poor children and families. At the same time, the UK Government must demonstrate it is serious about tackling child poverty with its upcoming child poverty strategy.

“Tweaking the current system isn’t enough - just like our climate targets, ending child poverty requires a clearer debate about our shared prosperity and how burdens are distributed. Politicians must be honest about the need for higher taxes to build a fairer, greener society”.

ENDS

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW:

Dave Hawkey, senior research fellow at IPPR Scotland, is based in Edinburgh and available for interviews.

Stephen Boyd, director of IPPR Scotland is also available for interview this morning from Glasgow only.

CONTACT:

Rosie Lockwood, head of media and advocacy at IPPR Scotland: r.lockwood@ippr.org, 07585772633

NOTE TO EDITORS:

IPPR Scotland shapes public policy in pursuit of a fairer, greener, more prosperous Scotland.