Child poverty in Scotland: Humza Yousaf must now deliver on his campaign promises – Claire Telfer, Save the Children Scotland

Throughout his leadership campaign, Humza Yousaf promised that reducing child poverty would be at the top of his agenda.

Humza Yousaf on the campaign trail during the SNP leadership contest (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA)

And today, both in his statement on the Scottish Government’s priorities and in a debate on child poverty and the cost of living, the new First Minister has a chance to show what those commitments mean in practice. The stakes are high. The Scottish Government, with the support of all parties, has made a legally binding commitment that, by 2030, less than ten per cent of children in Scotland will be living in relative poverty. By mid-way through the period covered by the legislation – the end of 2023/24 – the figure should be below 18 per cent.

But with a year to go until that interim target must be met, the Scottish Government is a long way off. New figures published last month show that, despite significant action in recent years, child poverty rates remain static. A quarter of a million children – nearly one in four – are still in poverty. These figures should shock us all and serve as a wake-up call. We need to double down on bold and progressive action.

Ending child poverty is possible if, starting today, the new First Minister and his government back up their ambition with action that makes a real difference to our youngest citizens. We know how important this is. Across Scotland, parents are struggling to afford even the basics. Too many are left without choices between food and heating, cutting back on essentials for themselves, or going into debt to support their families. Children in these households can’t afford to wait for change.

The Scottish Government isn’t starting from scratch. Child poverty levels in Scotland are already lower than elsewhere in the UK as a result of the leadership and cross-party consensus that’s been forged around this issue in recent years. And yet, it’s clear that a stronger prescription is needed.

As a first step, we’re calling on the First Minister and his government to boost investment in the Scottish Child Payment even further to ensure the interim targets are met. Since the payment was introduced, and successive increases have been made, we’ve seen first-hand the difference it’s made to families. Through a difficult two years, it’s been a lifeline which has helped parents to pay for essentials like food and heating. But as the cost of living continues to rise, so must our support for children, which is why we want to see the payment increased to at least £40 a week.

We also need to see action to get wages rising – especially for those in low-paid and insecure work and to tackle the exorbitant cost of childcare, which is shutting too many parents, particularly mums, out of the workplace and trapping families in poverty. Every tool in the new First Minister’s toolbox must be used, and that includes considering Holyrood’s tax-raising powers.

Ultimately, the First Minister will be measured on his record on child poverty. Not only on whether the child poverty targets are met, but also on whether we can build a society where every child gets the best start in life and every family can live with dignity. There’s no time to waste.

Claire Telfer is head of Save the Children Scotland