Scotland’s targets to tackle child poverty can be met, campaigners have insisted, but they stressed “ambitious” action will be needed from the next Scottish Government in order to do so.
Barnardo’s Scotland wants to see the Scottish Child Payment, a benefit only available to families in Scotland, increased to £40 a week within the next 12 months.
The payment is currently set at £28.20 a week per child, although it is being increased to £40 for babies under the age of one from 2027-28.
We’re calling for ministers in the new Parliament to be brave and bold for children
Martin Crewe, director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment had been a “positive step” in the fight against child poverty, but said it needed to be increased.
He also urged the next Scottish Government to expand universal free school meals to children in P6 and P7.
He issued the demands as Barnardo’s Scotland published its manifesto ahead of Thursday’s Holyrood election, calling on parties to “brave and bold for children”.
Mr Crewe said: “Despite ambitious targets to reduce child poverty in Scotland to 10% by 2030, far too many children, young people and families living in or on the edge of poverty across Scotland continue to struggle, unable to afford the basic things they need to live.
“As a result, financial support for children, young people and families has become ever more crucial to ensuring families can afford the essentials, providing them with choice, security and the resources to enable their children to thrive.”
While he noted that the latest statistics “show that 22% in Scotland continue to live in poverty”, with analysis suggesting a third of those youngsters are in “deep poverty”, Mr Crewe insisted that “meeting the child poverty targets is possible”.
But he added that this “will only be achieved if ambitious targets is met with ambitious actions”.
He continued: “That’s why we’re calling for ministers in the new Parliament to be brave and bold for children.
“The next Scottish Government should immediately increase the Scottish Child Payment to at least £40 per week in the first year of the Parliament and we would also like to see the expansion of universal free school meal provision to primary sixes and primary sevens.”
In addition to this Barnardo’s said the next Scottish Government must also produce a new national action plan to tackle the problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
This should come with investment in “Scotland-specific research and data collection on the scale and nature of child abuse and exploitation”, similar to work already done in England and Wales, he added.
Mr Crewe also said that the next Scottish Government “regardless of which party or parties that may be” should restate its commitment to The Promise, a previous pledge to improve lives for children in care and those who are care experienced.