The SNP has welcomed poverty groups and experts highlighting the vital impact that the Scottish Child Payment is having on tackling child poverty.
Introduced by the SNP Government as part of Scotland's new social security system, the “game changing” child benefit payment provides families with £25 a week per eligible child. Recent figures have shown that over 300,000 children in Scotland are in receipt of the payment.
Giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee, experts said:
Chris Birt, Associate Director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation:
“The Scottish Child Payment is working. It is significantly reducing child poverty. Some people will give you various different numbers, but it is probably 4 or 5 per cent at the moment… it will significantly reduce child poverty. That is a really good thing.”
Bill Scott, Chair of the Poverty and Inequality Commission:
“The Scottish Child Payment has made a significant difference, will continue to make a significant difference.”
The Committee evidence follows recent comments on the Scottish Child Payment by Professor Danny Dorling of Oxford University, who considered that Scottish Child Payment may have caused the largest fall in child poverty anywhere in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall: “Two out of every seven children in Scotland, their families will get it, and that has an effect on changing the inequality level in Scotland which I don’t see in any country for which there has been data for the last 40 years.”
Senior civil servant, Liz Ditchburn, also recently wrote for the David Hume Institute to ask, ‘Why aren’t more people talking about the Scottish Child Payment?’
She said: “I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve mentioned the Scottish Child Payment to colleagues and friends based elsewhere in the UK (even some involved in public policy work) and been told they’ve never heard of it. The next reaction when I describe the level and scale of this initiative, is ‘Wow! That’s big!’. It is indeed.”
Commenting, Natalie Don, SNP MSP for Renfrewshire North and West said:
"The introduction of the Scottish Child Payment in 2021 was a transformational step from the Scottish Government in tackling child poverty. It has been one of the most important policies introduced since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and it is encouraging to learn from experts about the positive impact it is having.
"Westminster’s policies and economic mismanagement is causing so much damage and hardship, leaving devolved governments to pick up the pieces. Therefore, its welcoming that the SNP’s game-changing payment is benefitting so many children across Scotland during these times.
"Ultimately, there is only one way we can escape the harm of Westminster control and build a fairer, greener, wealthier Scotland - and that is by becoming an independent country.”