Highly unlikely legally-binding poverty reduction targets will be met by 2030
Anti-poverty groups have reacted to figures showing the Scottish government has missed its legal targets for reducing child poverty.
Data for 2023 to 2024 show a relative rate of child poverty at 22%, while the rate of absolute poverty was 17%.
While both sets of data are down from the previous year, they fall short of the government's interim target of getting relative poverty below 18% and absolute poverty below 14%.
The Scottish government blamed Westminster's austerity measures for putting progress at risk.
Laws were set in 2017 to reduce the number of children in relative poverty to less than 10% by 2030.
Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the statistics marked a welcome fall in the number of children in poverty in Scotland.
She said: "The significant progress made is due to Scottish government actions including our Scottish Child Payment, extension of free school meals and delivering £3bn to support households through the cost of living crisis.
"But yesterday's statement from the chancellor made very clear our progress is at risk.
"Labour's austerity drive is not only holding progress back - they are actively pushing at least 50,000 children into poverty with planned welfare cuts."
Fiona King, from Save The Children Scotland, said she welcomed improvements to Social Security Scotland but measures so far fell short.
“We know that the actions being taken by the Scottish Government – including the Scottish Child Payment are having a real impact for children and their families – but it is simply not enough,” she said.
“Families are still struggling to get by, to pay the bills, to buy food and afford housing costs – the figures show just how hard it is for a quarter of children in Scotland.
“Social security is a vital part of the action we need to see. We will not meet the 2030 targets without further investment in social security which means increasing the Scottish Child Payment as a first step.
“Taking urgent action to make well paid and flexible work more accessible for mums is another key part of driving down poverty along with giving families the support they need in their communities.
“We are now at a crossroads. Politicians from all parties must now choose to work together for a better future for children in Scotland and take bold action we know the public wants to see on child poverty. There is not a moment to lose.”
Data on low income and material deprivation - which measures children in poorer households without basic goods and services - was also released.
This stood at 9% in 2023/24, just above the target level of 8%.
Levels of persistent poverty rose to 23%, well above the target of 8%.
John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland said: “These latest statistics show that Holyrood polices, especially the Scottish child payment, are working to shift the dial for children in Scotland in the face of poverty rising to record highs across the rest of the UK.
“It is obviously disappointing that progress falls short of the interim targets, but the statistics show that when government invests to support families then child poverty will fall.”
Meanwhile, 20% of working-age adults and 15% of pensioners are in relative poverty after housing costs.
Debbie Horne, Scotland policy and public affairs manager at older people’s charity Independent Age, said it was unacceptable that 156,122 pensioners across Scotland are in poverty.
“More can and must be done to change this. Terrifyingly, this increase means that three-year average pensioner poverty levels are the highest since 2005/6 - 2007/8. We must reverse this worrying trend,” she said.
“Each of these numbers represents an older person who may be forced into making choices to cut back on life’s essentials, including food and heating. This is wrong. In a compassionate society, no older person should be living in poverty.
“There is action that must be taken in both Holyrood and Westminster. North of the border, the Scottish government must put in place a pensioner poverty strategy.
“This should set out actions to boost incomes and social security take up and improve housing affordability and energy efficiency.
“In Westminster, the UK government must agree what an adequate income level is for a financially secure later life and put in place a plan to ensure everyone receives this.”
Fiona Steel, national director for Scotland at Action for Children, added: “We welcome the drop in child poverty figures and it’s down to positive steps by the Scottish Government including their investment in delivering the Scottish Child Payment – it’s an important reminder progressive policy interventions do lift children out of poverty.
“We also applaud the Scottish Government for its plans to mitigate the cruel two child limit which should help this positive downwards trend.
“However, sadly, this is in stark contrast to the recently announced UK government cuts to the social security which target the most vulnerable children in society and undermine attempts to reduce child poverty.
“Yet again this highlights a need for better joined up approach across the UK to eradicate child poverty.”
