Government warned against more delays to start of new child poverty benefit

The Scottish Government’s independent poverty advisers have said there must be no further delays to the planned new child benefit, as it was announced it will not be paid until March.

Cabinet minister Aileen Campbell today said low-income families, with a child under six, would be able to apply for the weekly extra £10 per child from November, but it would take another five months before payments would start.

The first round of the new Scottish Child Payment was due to be paid in December, with the government blaming the Covid pandemic on the delay.

Despite announcing a date, the government's own Poverty and Inequality Commission, criticised the lack of speed to get the benefit into poverty-stricken families’ pockets and urged Ms Campbell to ensure there were no further delays.

Bill Scott, chair of the Commission, said: “It is not right that nearly one in four children in Scotland are forced to live in poverty.

“Child poverty is not inevitable, it can be influenced by the decisions the government makes about our use of resources. That is why the Commission is calling on the Scottish Government to be clearer about how its actions will deliver towards the child poverty targets and focus more on the priority families who are at greatest risk of poverty.

"Given the recession caused by Covid-19, it must also devote more funding to enable it to make faster progress on some of its commitments, including no further delays to the Scottish Child Payment”.

Jim McCormick, Associate Director Scotland of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, welcomed the date for payments, but said it wasn't enough.

"Today’s statement confirms that Scotland will be blown further off course in its effort to right the wrong of child poverty, unless we act decisively now. The pandemic poses additional challenges for our country, and how we respond will be a true test of our commitment to meeting our ambitious child poverty targets.

“Families who were already struggling to keep their heads above water are now feeling the full force of this economic storm and we must do all we can to extend a stronger lifeline to prevent more Scots being pulled into poverty.

“We welcome the Cabinet Secretary’s commitment to opening applications to the Scottish Child Payment this year. On its own this will not be enough unless we also create good jobs and equip people with the skills to access them.

"There is no route to achieving the child poverty targets without more families being able to access good quality, low cost homes. We need the Scottish Government to offer greater certainty and bring forward a long-term plan to deliver affordable homes, at scale, during the next Parliament.”

However Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said the government “had worked at pace” to get the new benefit ready for applications.

"These past months have been challenging for everyone but we know that coronavirus has had a greater impact on the poorest in our society – many of whom will have struggled to make ends meetWe know this vital payment will play a key role in tackling the blight of child poverty,” she said.

“To ensure that families receive the full support they are entitled to, we will link the Scottish Child Payment with the Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods through the application process. With all three schemes combined, low income families will receive over £5,200 of support for their first child by the time they turn six.”

She also confirmed a further £2.35 million for the Parental Employability Support Fund this year to boost the £5 million already allocated, with £1m of the new funding targeted at supporting disabled parents into employment.

“We are determined to continue to tackle child poverty. This has been shown by our investment targeted at children living in low-income households rising to £672 million – part of an estimated £1.96 billion directed at low-income households in 2019-20,” she said.

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