THE UK Government could cut child poverty in the UK by a sixth if it was to take the same approach as the Scottish Government, according to a new report.
The Changing Realities study by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) hailed the SNP’s flagship Scottish Child Payment policy in particular, which provides £26.70 per child per week for families on a low-income.
This means that a family with three children would receive almost £5500 more a year in household income than their English counterpart.
The research found, meanwhile, that if the UK Government were to match this investment (equivalent to £400 per child per year), they could reduce child poverty by 700,000 overnight.
It comes amid a series of Westminster cuts to welfare which poverty charities have widely condemned.
SNP MSP Bob Doris (below) said the Scottish Child Payment has been “transformational” and added that it “shows the impact of decisions made in Scotland, for Scotland”.
“Sadly, since winning power at Westminster, Labour have chosen to inflict a new round of austerity cuts on people in Scotland, pushing more families into poverty,” he said.
“Labour’s two child cap has pushed 1.5 million children into poverty, and their recently announced £5 billion of cuts will add another 50,000 to that staggering number.
“The SNP is clear: Labour and Westminster cannot keep holding Scotland's progress back – they must abandon their commitment to austerity, match our ambition and take real action to end child poverty once and for all."
Tayyaba Siddiqui, a working parent from London, and a participant in Changing Realities said: “My child is affected every day by our poverty. It doesn't have to be this way. I would like the Government to follow Scotland's lead and invest in our social security system. That investment is so long overdue and could change lives, and overnight. Surely my son and all the others in poverty deserve nothing less.”
Ruth Patrick, a professor at the University of York and a visiting professor at LSE, said: “Enough is enough. We need to see action on child poverty and we need to see it now. The UK Government seems to have lost their way on tackling this pernicious policy problem that blights lives, and robs children of their childhood and their futures.
She added: “The progress Scotland has made on driving poverty rates down shows another way is possible. The UK Government could lift 700,000 children out of poverty overnight by matching Scotland’s fiscal commitment to driving poverty down.”
