The Scottish Child Payment must be increased to £40 per week before the next Holyrood election, anti-poverty campaigners have demanded.
The benefit was created by the SNP Government as its flagship policy to help low-income families across the country.
But campaigners have argued the payment has not kept pace with inflation and the soaring cost of food and fuel.
Peter Kelly, chief executive of the Poverty Alliance, said: “Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, making our current trends on child homelessness and our deepening poverty not only unjust, but entirely unnecessary. We know it doesn’t have to be like this.”
Shona Robison, the Finance Secretary, last month announced the benefit will rise by just 1.7 per cent to £27.15 per week.
John Swinney has previously described how tackling child poverty was his “number one priority” in Government.
The future of welfare spending in Scotland has come into focus this week after Anas Sarwar warned poverty could not be reduced by simply paying higher benefits.
The Scottish Labour leader used his first speech of the New Year to insist a strong economy and better-paid jobs were equally as important to helping people get on in life.
Sarwar also walked back from his previous calls in support of the payment rising to £40 per week.
Kelly, a veteran campaigner against poverty, added: “There is much that needs to be done to create a stable foundation to build a life beyond poverty – providing childcare that people can afford and meets their needs, securing real Living Wages for workers, building affordable homes, and strengthening education, social care, and our other vital public services.
“Social security will be central to any approach to addressing poverty. A strong social security system is a vital part of a just Scotland, giving people a measure of stability and a hand-up when our unjust economy locks them out of suitable jobs and adequate wages.
“The Scottish Child Payment is a great example of how politicians can turn justice and compassion into concrete action – for thousands of families across Scotland the Child Payment is not a handout, but a vital lifeline. Political leaders who are serious about tackling child poverty must commit to boosting the Child Payment to £40 a week before the end of this Parliament.
“In 2025, we need all our politicians in Scotland to back the policies that will make a real difference to families across Scotland, and deliver on the promise they all made to eradicate child poverty.”
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here