Targets have been consistently missed

A campaign group is demanding the Scottish Government takes urgent action to meet child poverty targets.

Responding to the publication of the Poverty and Inequality Commission's formal advice to ministers, John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said that it is vital that they heed the steer coming from the commission.

He said real progress is being made but as the commission lays out there is a "chasm" between levels of child poverty now and where they need to be.

The commission has said in its third and final report that significant increases to the Scottish Child Payment must be top priority in bridging that 'chasm', alongside action on employment, housing and childcare.

Dickie said it is now vital that ministers use the coming Scottish budget to increase the Scottish Child Payment to the £40 experts say is needed, and that all the Holyrood parties commit to ensuring it reaches £55 a week by the end of the next parliament.

"There is no question that UK Government must use its powers to act on child poverty as well, with abolition of the two-child limit in the UK benefit system the essential first step,” he said.

“Abolishing the two-child limit would not only benefit struggling families across the UK it would free up Scottish Government resources to increase the Scottish Child Payment. But Holyrood politicians need to remember meeting the Scottish child poverty targets is not conditional on action at Westminster.

“The next Scottish child poverty plan must deliver year on year progress whatever happens at UK level."