‘See no poverty, hear no poverty’ budget statement gave nothing to poor says campaigners

A leading Scottish anti-poverty charity has criticised George Osborne’s "see no poverty, hear no poverty" budget statement.

The Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland (CPAG) said the chancellor has failed to face up to the reality that child poverty in is on the rise.

CPAG disputed claims that fewer children in Britain are living in poverty.

Forecasts from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) show that child poverty is set to increase by 400,000 across the UK by the end of this parliament – and by 100,000 in Scotland by 2020.

John Dickie, head of CPAG Scotland, said: “The chancellor made claim to a truly national recovery but this is a see no poverty, hear no poverty budget which continues to leave children in Scotland and across the UK behind.

The claim that child poverty is down is only true if you ignore the impact of the chancellor’s own massive benefit cuts

“The claim that child poverty is down is only true if you ignore the impact of the chancellor’s own massive benefit cuts.

“Official child poverty statistics for the years in which benefit levels were cut and the benefit cap and bedroom tax were introduced will be published only after the election, but we know that in Scotland alone the chancellor’s tax and benefit decisions will lead to up to a 100,000 more children being pushed into poverty by 2020.”

Dickie said UK ministers have to face up to the reality that the country is on course for the biggest rise in child poverty in a generation and take urgent action.

“Families need politicians to prioritise support for parents through child benefit and to restore the cuts in tax credits and Universal Credit for the low paid,” he said.

“The increase in the personal tax allowance is expensive and poorly targeted.

"The same money channelled through tax credit and universal credit would do much more for the low paid.”