More than one in four children are living in poverty in Dumfries and Galloway amid the worst cost of living crisis in memory.
Shocking figures in a new report revealed that 6,751 kids in the region - 26 per cent - are deemed to be caught in the poverty trap.
The report, produced on behalf of the End Child Poverty coalition, showed that Dumfries and Galloway had the eighth highest level among Scotland’s 32 local authority areas in 2021/22.
The region is above the national average of 24 per cent, and well above the levels set out in the Child Poverty Act 2017, which sets mandatory targets of reducing the level to 18 per cent by next year and 10 per cent by 2030.
Campaigners say urgent action is needed at every level of government to ensure that Scotland’s legal child poverty reduction targets are met despite the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment in February, 2021.
Scottish Child Payment was extended to include all eligible children until their 16th birthday and increased to £25 per child per week in November last year.
John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group, made a number of recommendations to national and local governments on behalf of the End Child Poverty coalition, including urging the UK Government to scrap the two-child benefit limit – where families with additional children born after April 2017 cannot access further financial aid, while the Scottish Government should do more to mitigate the policy.
Mr Dickie said: “These latest statistics are a stark reminder that child poverty remains unacceptably high across the UK, including in every local authority area of Scotland.
“It’s now absolutely vital that the UK Government scraps the poverty creating policies like the two-child limit.
“Here in Scotland, the Scottish Child Payment is already making a big difference to struggling families, but nearly one in four children still face this deep injustice and further effort is now needed to ensure Scotland’s upcoming child poverty targets are met.
Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical missions for this government. This year and last we have allocated almost £3 billion to support policies to tackle poverty and the ongoing cost of living crisis. We have continually urged the UK Government to also take urgent action and match our ambitions to tackle poverty.
“We have a range of actions in our Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan and our five family payments could be worth over £10,000 by the time an eligible child turns six – over £8,000 more than families in England and Wales. This includes the Scottish Child Payment.
“We are taking action within limited powers and fixed budget but it is only with the powers of an independent nation that we can use all the levers other governments have to tackle poverty and inequalities.”
