The SNP Government has been criticised after they increased their flagship anti-poverty benefit by a tiny 45p a week. The Budget rise for the Scottish Child Payment is lower than the latest rate of inflation and less than the price of a pint of milk
Ruth Boyle of the Poverty Alliance said the increase is “simply not enough”.
John Swinney has said cutting child poverty will be his top priority as First Minister. The SCP, currently £26.70 a week, is paid to low income families for every child they have.
Anti-poverty groups hoped for a big jump in this week’s Budget as a first step towards a £40-a-week SCP by the 2026. But their hopes have been dashed after the Government said the SCP will rise by 1.7% to £27.15 in April.
The increase is in line with the inflation rate in September, but inflation has since jumped to 2.3%
Finance Secretary Shona Robison used her draft Budget this week to promise to scrap the UK Government’s two child benefit cap in 2026. The commitment requires a data sharing deal with the DWP in London and was widely welcomed by campaigners.
However, charities want more action to cut poverty in 2025 and they are demanding a bigger SCP rise. Ruth Boyle, Policy & Campaigns Manager for the Poverty Alliance, said: “Our political leaders urgently need to build a just and compassionate society beyond the injustice of child poverty.
“It’s good that the Scottish Government plans to fill the gap in household incomes left by the unjust two-child limit, supporting around 15,000 children out of poverty – but we must remember that there are around 240,000 children in poverty in Scotland today.
“If the First Minister is serious about reaching our legal child poverty targets he can boost the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week by the end of this Parliament – lifting it by the rate of inflation is simply not enough.”
John Dickie of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland said: “If Scotland is serious about eradicating child poverty a 1.7% increase to the Scottish child payment just won’t cut it. It’s vital that all parties work together to revise the spending plans to ensure a substantial above inflation increase to support families now and ensure a credible path is being laid to meeting the legally binding 2030 child poverty targets”
“The promise to effectively scrap the two child limit is welcome but hard up families are struggling to pay the bills and put food on the table now. They cant wait until 2026 . They really need to see a substantive, above inflation increase to the Scottish child payment from April. Increasing the payment to £30 a week would only cost £50 million but make a real difference to children and families.”
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