“Child poverty remains absolute scandal” say campaigners despite report showing Scottish child poverty rates amongst lowest in UK

Child poverty campaigners today responded to an influential report monitoring poverty in Scotland. The JRF/NPI report (see note 1 below) shows child poverty rates in Scotland are now among the lowest in the UK, but that there has been no progress in reducing that child poverty rate in the last three years.

John Dickie, Head of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland said;

“The fact that one in four of our children is still officially recognised as living in poverty remains an absolute scandal, even if that’s lower than the UK as a whole. As the economic situation worsens even more families will be looking to a hopelessly inadequate benefit and tax credit safety net, with many parents having so little money they have to make desperate choices between paying fuel bills, buying food or getting into debt."

Mr. Dickie said that a ratcheting up in investment is needed to protect children from poverty as the economic situation worsens.

“The priority for the UK government must be to invest the £3billion needed to boost child benefit and tax credits for families in and out of work. Such an investment would also be a highly cost effective way of injecting money into the economy because families in poverty need to spend extra money straight away, [see Note 2 below].

At the same time the Scottish Government must invest in removing the extra costs, especially at school, that hard pressed families too often face. Rolling out free school meals, boosting school clothing grants and ensuring no child is excluded from school trips or class activities because of extra charges would be good places to start. But Holyrood Ministers also need to act to invest in advice services to ensure families are getting the benefits and tax credits they are entitled to as well as tackle the barriers, such as lack of childcare and employment discrimination, that too often mean work is not a route out of poverty.”

Notes for editors

1. Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Scotland 2008 is published today by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation at http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/2324.asp

2. D Elmendorf and J Furman, ‘If, When, How: A Primer on Fiscal Stimulus’, The Brookings Institute, 2008. Elmendorf and Furman find benefit increases as the most cost effective way of increasing demand. The authors are economists, focused on fiscal stimulus rather than on eradication of child poverty, so they argue short term measures rather than the long term investment needed in the UK but the argument that increased benefit and tax credit spending is the most cost effective tool the UK government has to increase consumer demand is a powerful one.

3. For further details contact John Dickie, Head of CPAG in Scotland, on 07795 340 618