This Challenge Poverty Week, Children First policy manager Lily Humphreys lays out what needs to change to end child poverty in Scotland
Poverty isn’t just a statistic. It’s a national emergency that is destroying children’s health, education, safety and futures. It hurts families and communities and it holds Scotland back.
Despite years of promises from successive first ministers, around 240,000 children in Scotland are still living in poverty. The target set by the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 - to reduce relative child poverty to below 10% by 2030 – seems a long way away.
The latest report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, released this week, is pointed. Scotland will miss that target by a wide margin unless urgent action is taken. And children will pay the price.
At Children First, we see the devastating impact of poverty on children and families every day. Last year alone, we supported over 1,000 families with financial wellbeing advice. Reports like the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s add to the growing set of evidence showing that much more must be done. This must be a wake-up call.
Child poverty is complex. There’s no single cause, and no single solution. But we know what works.
If we’re serious about ending child poverty, we need:
- Urgent investment in whole family support,
- sustainable, long-term funding for the charity sector
- and expanded support for families through measures like the Scottish Child Payment.
The Scottish Child Payment, introduced in 2021, is making a real difference. It is the quickest way to reduce child poverty but needs extended further. Harmful policies like the UK Government’s two-child cap on tax credits need to be scrapped.
We were encouraged by the first minister’s recent pledge to make ending child poverty a “truly national mission” through whole family support. But words aren’t enough.
Our 2026 Holyrood Elections manifesto calls for a comprehensive offer of whole family support - emotional, practical and financial. Because when families get the help they need, everything changes.
Good support transforms lives. It improves children and families’ experiences of mental health, education and care and it saves money in the long run.
Whole family support needs a reset. Scotland needs a new national strategy, built on prevention and backed by long-term funding.
This can’t just be a long-term debate about public sector reform. Charities like Children First are delivering vital services every day but funding cuts are threatening our ability to keep going.
We know meeting the child poverty targets is a huge challenge. But the real danger is that decision-makers give up.
We won’t. We’ll keep standing up for children. We’ll keep fighting for change. Together we can end child poverty for good.
Lily Humphreys is Children First’s policy manager.
If you’re a family struggling to make ends meet, Children First is here for you. Call our friendly support line on 08000 28 22 33 or start a webchat at www.childrenfirst.org.uk/supportline.
