Child poverty in Scotland increases by 10,000 in year

Published on Thursday 20 May 2010 21:43

THE number of children living in poverty has risen for the first time in more than a decade, with 10,000 more youngsters in poor households than a year earlier.

That equates to almost 30 more youngsters a day sinking into poverty.

One in five Scottish children is now deprived, and that figure moves up to a quarter after families' housing costs have been taken into account, according to new Scottish Government figures for 2008-9.

Both the Scottish and UK governments are committed to ending child poverty by 2020, but campaigners are growing increasingly sceptical about their chance of success.

Douglas Hamilton, head of Save the Children in Scotland, said: "Today's figures have to be a major wake-up call, as more than one in five children in Scotland now live in poverty.

"The statistics show a rise of a further 10,000 children in Scotland whose parents struggle to get by. Despite repeated commitments from governments, that's a figure equivalent to almost every child that lives in Paisley. There can be no excuses – either end child poverty or face the prospect of a lost generation.

"The poorest parents are having to provide for their children on less than 33 a day – to cover absolutely everything from housing to food, clothing, heating and transport."

Martin Crewe, director of Barnardo's Scotland, added: "The new UK government has a great opportunity to tackle some of the structural problems that cause child poverty including breaking down barriers to work for parents, improving affordable childcare opportunities and making sure all children have an equal opportunity in education."

The Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2008-9 report shows that 210,000 children and 490,000 adults are living in relative poverty, where their household income is less than 60 per cent of the Scots average.

It is the first time the children's total has risen since 1996-97, and is the highest figure for adults since 2002-3.

After rents and mortgages are taken into account those figures increase to 260,000 children and 600,000 adults.

The figures also show a leap in the number of children and adults living in absolute poverty – where their income is not rising in real terms – after housing costs are taken into account.

Over the course of the last year, the number of children in absolute poverty rose by 20,000 to 150,000, while the number of adults rose by 40,000 to 430,000.

The new Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition has promised to raise the income tax threshold to 10,000, cutting the average tax bill by 700, and ensuring four million people no longer have to pay any tax at all.

Jeremy Purvis, Scottish Liberal Democrat's finance spokesman, said: "We are hopeful that the lifting of the tax threshold to 10,000 will lift thousands of families out of paying income tax. This will be a considerable move to reduce poverty."

Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman, said: "It is clear that the Scottish Government's aim of ending child poverty by 2020 is now going to be very difficult to achieve and children living in the most deprived areas will pay the price for this.

"These escalating problems arise from generational poor parenting, and Scottish Conservatives are determined to tackle this."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We have a target to eradicate poverty and we are fully committed to that."