Action needed now to meet 2030 child poverty targets
The Scottish Government will need to make significant use of new social security powers if it is going to meet challenging targets to reduce child poverty.
That’s the view of the country’s Poverty and Inequality Commission, which has called on the SNP government to set out the extent to which it intends to use new powers, alongside action on work and earnings and addressing housing costs.
If it doesn’t do this, then it faces missing its 2030 child poverty targets.
The challenge was set down in the commission’s first report, published on Monday.
Chairman Douglas Hamilton said: “The Scottish Government needs to be realistic about the scale of the challenge that the country faces in tackling child poverty. It needs to set out the actions that will make the greatest impact.”
“New social security powers will need to be used to help reach the targets and the Government needs to be clear the extent to which it is prepared to introduce new benefits or top-up existing ones.
“Benefits are not the answer alone, however. More needs to be done to support parents into work and to progress in work while finding new ways to reduce housing costs for the poorest households.”
The report also highlighted that the relationship between work and poverty is not straightforward.
Douglas added: “Work will be the most effective route out of poverty for many households, but higher employment alone will not necessarily address child poverty for all children. In-work poverty has been rising in recent years with nearly two-thirds of children who are in poverty living in a household where someone is in some form of employment.
“As well as supporting parents to gain employment, the plan also needs to consider action that will address issues such as wages, hours, security, training, quality and opportunities to progress.”
Responding to the commission's advice, John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said: “The commission is absolutely right to stress that Scottish ministers need to use new social security powers to tackle child poverty. With families facing huge financial pressures as wages stagnate and UK benefits are slashed, ministers have absolutely no time to lose in making the investment need to boost family incomes.
"The commission sets out a range of options for topping up family benefits, at the same time as churches, children’s organisations, trade unions and anti-poverty groups are calling for an immediate £5 top up to child benefit. With clear proposals on the table ministers must now act if they are serious about making serious inroads into the shocking levels of poverty that undermine our children’s futures.”
The Commission’s advice sets out a series of recommendations for the Scottish Government as to how their plan can make the most likely impact on reaching the targets at the same as improving the quality of life for children growing up in poverty.
Scotland's Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 sets in law four targets relating to child poverty which are to be met by 2030 and he Poverty and Inequality Commission has been asked by the Scottish Government to provide advice on its first Child Poverty Delivery Plan and the Commission was set up to provides independent advice and scrutiny.
It contains several high profile third sector figures including Douglas Hamilton, director of the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, Kaliani Lyle, former chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland and Sally Witcher, chief executive of Inclusion Scotland.
