NEW ANALYSIS SHOWS ACTION WOULD LIFT 563,000 CHILDREN OUT OF POVERTY
The SNP has challenged the Labour government to "get serious about eradicating child poverty" by matching the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide at the UK Budget in October - as new research shows doing so would lift more than half a million children out of poverty across the UK, including more than 40,000 in Scotland.
With one month until the budget, the SNP have made the call to raise the child element of Universal Credit by £26.70 per child per week across the UK - amid growing calls from anti-poverty campaigners and trade unions for the Labour government to end austerity cuts and put cash into people's pockets.
New analysis by the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the SNP and using Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data, shows that matching the Scottish Child Payment across the UK by raising the child element of Universal Credit would lift 563,000 children out of poverty across the UK, including 40,400 children in Scotland, 479,000 in England, 27,000 in Wales and 16,700 in Northern Ireland.
In addition, the research shows that such a move would boost the incomes of around 200,000 low income households in Scotland, and more than 2.6million households across the UK, by £1,390 per child per year.
The SNP government introduced the Scottish Child Payment in 2021 and has since increased its value by more than 160% to £26.70 per child per week. The eligibility has also been extended to include children up to age 16. The benefit, which is paid to Scottish families in addition to any UK-wide benefits, has been described as a "game-changer" by child poverty charities and is estimated to lift around 60,000 children out of poverty.
It comes after the Labour government voted against abolishing the two child benefit cap in a motion tabled by the SNP at the King's Speech in July, keeping thousands of children in poverty.
SNP challenge Labour to tackle Child Poverty
It is nothing short of shameful that so many children across the UK are living in poverty.
Commenting, SNP MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, Natalie Don-Innes, said:
"It is nothing short of shameful that so many children across the UK are living in poverty - and it's unforgivable that the Labour government has made the political choice to push even more children into destitution by continuing damaging welfare cuts like the two child benefit cap.
"It's time for the new Labour MPs in Renfrewshire to get serious about eradicating child poverty. Keir Starmer’s government must take bold and urgent action at the UK Budget, including abolishing the two child benefit cap immediately and matching the SNP government's Scottish Child Payment UK-wide.
"The evidence is clear – doing so would lift more than half a million children out of poverty across the UK, including more than 40,000 children in communities across Scotland.
"Governments are defined by the choices they make. SNP government policies are lifting children out of poverty but for every step Scotland takes forward, Westminster is dragging us back as draconian Labour Party austerity cuts push more children into poverty.
"Labour must start delivering the change they promised instead of copying the Tories and imposing even more cuts."