The child poverty action group claims that the Scottish government is set to “fall far short” of its legally binding goal to reduce child poverty despite recent measures put into place. With nearly a quarter of children (24%) in Scotland living in poverty, it’s essential that both the UK and Scottish governments work together for more substantial progress.
The Scottish government has still made active efforts to tackle child poverty, despite the lack of apparent success. For instance, in 2022 they expanded the Scottish Child Payment scheme to include children under 16; offering a £25 allowance per week via application. Furthermore, the Scottish government is providing free bus travel to young adults under the age of 22, and is widening the eligibility for families to access food banks.
Yet, despite their efforts, this just isn’t enough. But why? I believe that it cannot solely be due to unemployment levels which currently sit at 4.4%. Although this is the highest in the UK, it’s not an alarming figure. Yes, it will influence poverty in Scotland, but logically, how can under 5% unemployment be the cause of almost 25% of Sottish children living in poverty.
Instead, insufficient income levels, either from work or social security, against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis that is causing so many unfortunate children to live in poverty. Before tackling employment levels, it is important to ensure that average wages can keep up with the ever increasing cost of living.
It appears that the well-worn conclusion to this issue of inequality is that those in power continue to neglect the vulnerable in our societies. In particular, the UK government falls short in adequately funding Scotland. With just 9.1% of the budget allocated to Scotland, this may be where the root of the problem lies. The two-child benefit cap, originally introduced by Labour, further illustrates how those in power often lack an understanding of the challenges faced by the less fortunate.
“Scottish Parliament, from Salisbury Crags” by Lee Kindness is licensed under CC BY 2.5.