Scottish Government Sets Plans to Reduce Poverty

 There is limited information about the impact of anti-poverty measures in schools and other local authority services; a new Audit Scotland report has indicated. More planning is needed to address the increased child poverty rates in Scotland since targets were set in 2017, the Tackling Child Poverty report also says.

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Audit Scotland’s report says more than a quarter of children in Scotland were living in poverty before the pandemic and that the cost-of-living crisis will worsen the situation.

It says that policies and spending remain more focused on helping children out of poverty rather than addressing the causes of poverty.

The report makes several recommendations, including:

– That the Scottish Government develops a new poverty and inequality strategy that sets out how it will work with other organisations to tackle the root causes of poverty

– That local authorities review their services to make sure they are meeting the needs of children and families living in poverty

– That the Scottish Government collects more information on the impact of its anti-poverty measures.

Tackling child poverty is a key priority for the Scottish Government, and we are committed to doing all we can to eradicate it. We will carefully consider Audit Scotland’s report and respond in due course.

Audit Scotland’s latest report highlights the challenges facing the Scottish Government as it seeks to tackle poverty and inequality.

Earlier this year, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission said that child poverty in Scotland had increased by more than 10% since 2013/14. And a UNICEF report in 2018 found that almost one in three children in Scotland were living in poverty – the highest rate in the UK. The Scottish Government has introduced several initiatives to address the issue, including free school meals for all primary 1-3 pupils and the new Scottish Child Payment.

However, Audit Scotland’s report says there is limited information on the impact of these measures. It also highlights that poverty rates have increased in recent years, despite introducing of these initiatives. According to the report, 26.9% of children in Scotland were living in poverty in 2018/19 – up from 24.3% in 2017/18. And it warns that the pandemic is likely to worsen the situation, with many families facing financial difficulty due to job losses and reduced working hours.

Measures in the 2018-2022 child poverty plan included a higher school clothing grant across Scotland, money towards support for children experiencing “food insecurity” during school holidays, and extra support for afterschool childcare. In 2017, the Scottish Parliament set statutory targets for the Scottish government to significantly reduce four key indicators of child poverty by 2023-24 and then again by 2030-31. The most commonly used indicator, relative child poverty, increased from an average of 21 per cent from 2011-14 to 24 per cent across 2017-20.

The Scottish Government has introduced several initiatives to address the issue of child poverty, including free school meals for all primary 1-3 pupils and the new Scottish Child Payment. However, Audit Scotland’s report says there is limited information on the impact of these measures. It also highlights that poverty rates have increased in recent years, despite introducing of these initiatives. According to the report, 26.9% of children in Scotland were living in poverty in 2018/19 – up from 24.3% in 2017/18. And it warns that the pandemic is likely to worsen the situation, with many families facing financial difficulty due to job losses and reduced working hours.

What do you think of the Scottish government’s reducing child poverty? Have they been effective? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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