A leading children’s charity has demanded protection for struggling families from council tax debt amid the highest rises in 20 years.
Aberlour wants the way public authorities collect unpaid bills to be fundamentally reformed. The charity believes public debt – including council tax, rent arrears and school meal debt – is a key factor in entrenching and increasing child poverty across the country.
The third-sector organisation is calling on all political parties to make sure that public debt reform is a central plank of their manifestos ahead of the next Holyrood election.
Monica Lennon, a Scottish Labour MSP, said: “It’s a scandal that low income families are facing a debt crisis.”
Aberlour wants new legislation and regulations to make debt recovery processes fairer for families, including a comprehensive debt amnesty programme for low-income families, prioritising debts owed to public bodies such as council tax, housing arrears, and school meal debt.
And the charity wants to immediately increase eligibility for free school meals to prevent school meal debt.
It comes as millions of Scots face the steepest hikes in council tax in 20 years as five of the country’s biggest local authorities agreed budget deals.
Ratepayers in Glasgow face an increase of 7.5 per cent while those living in the Borders will pay 10 per cent more. Fife approved a hike of 8.2 per cent.
Councillors in Edinburgh agreed an eight per cent rise while a 10 per cent rise was signed off in North Lanarkshire.
Residents in Falkirk face an eyewatering 13.7 per cent rise if budget proposals are voted through next month.
Aberlour hosted a fringe meeting on the issue at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow last night calling on Anas Sarwar to support reform.
Lennon, who was among the speakers, said: “Across Scotland, too many people are trapped in poverty due to public debt, including council tax payments, rent arrears and school meal debt.
“It’s clear that current public debt recovery processes urgently need reform to provide support rather than punishment.”
SallyAnn Kelly, Aberlour chief executive, said: “As we mark 150 years of supporting children and families, it is deeply troubling that in 2025, many children in Scotland are facing the same challenges to get by and survive and are too often trapped in poverty, just as children in 1875 were.
“Scotland is in the grip of a debt and child poverty crisis. As the country prepares for another election, we will not stop reminding politicians that if Scotland is serious about ending child poverty, it must address both the root causes of debt and how public debt is recovered.
“At this Scottish Labour conference, we will be relentless in rallying support for our campaign. No politician should accept the appalling numbers of Scottish children in poverty today.
“We will make clear that tackling child poverty must be a priority at both UK and Scottish levels, and that reforming public debt policies is a critical step toward achieving that goal.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We know how worrying public sector debt can be for people in low-income households and encourage public bodies to promote empathy and dignity for people struggling with debt.
Our draft 2025-26 budget continues to invest more than £3 billion in policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living for households.
“Eradicating child poverty is a top priority. The Scottish Government has provided local authorities with £2.8 million in this financial year so they can cancel outstanding school meal debts. Out of 32 local authorities, 29 have bid to receive funding from our school meal debt fund.”
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