Responding to today’s figures on poverty and inequality in Scotland, Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said: “People in Scotland want a compassionate country beyond the injustice of child poverty. Today’s figures finally confirm what we all feared – we are not on course to build that better future.
“In Scotland we have clear, legal targets to reduce child poverty that the Scottish Parliament approved unanimously. But with the interim targets now missed, it is vital that our politicians do more to turn their words and commitments into the fundamental action we need.
“Child poverty is shameful. It highlights that our social security system and economy are failing to deliver what we all need to build a better life and a better future. By allowing such levels of poverty to persist we are denying children their rights and undermining the social foundation that they need to thrive, develop their talents, and achieve their potential.
“But it’s not too late. There are concrete, practical things that the Scottish Government can do now to meet our legal child poverty targets in 2031. They can increase the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week. They can invest in flexible, accessible childcare. They can expand free school meals. They can strengthen the public services that we all rely on. And they can work to build a well-being economy with good jobs, secure hours, and real Living Wages.
“We have choices to make in our country, about how we unlock our country’s wealth to investment in the common future. We must invest in policies like the Scottish Child Payment to invest in our children’s future. Together, we can build a Scotland beyond the injustice of needless poverty.”
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