More than 40 charities, trade unions and support groups in Scotland are calling for an immediate £10 weekly boost for child benefits to help struggling families through coronavirus hardship.
They made the call one day after a decade of Tory austerity was loosened on benefits.
In a joint letter to UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the groups warned: “We are calling for emergency support for children to ensure all parents can cover the basic costs of raising their children in the face of reduced income and before the new income protection measures can take effect.
“As child benefit reaches most families - 12.7 million children receive it - it offers an effective, fast and resilient way to get money to families through our existing infrastructure. Families will get the help they need directly into their bank accounts to cover additional costs.”
Most working-age benefits are rising by 1.7 per cent, while Universal Credit, tax credits and the state pension go up by more. Changes include:
> Child benefit for the oldest or only child is going up by 35p to £21.05.
> The payment for additional children goes up 23p to £13.93.
> Universal Credit for single claimants under 25 goes from £251.77 a month to £342.72.
> For over 25s, UC rises to £408.89.
> The standard payment for joint claimants under 25 get £488.59 while over 25s get £594.04.
> Other benefits with slight increases include attendance allowance, carers’ allowance, PIP and parental pay.
Child benefit has been frozen or lifted below inflation since 2011, meaning £10 a week is required to bring it beyond its historical value.
Charities say a £10 weekly uplift per child, on top of the new up-rating would reduce child poverty by around five percentage points. The two-child benefit cap, limiting household income, would have to be lifted.
John Dickie, director of Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said: “The number of organisations behind this letter to the Chancellor mean it must not, and cannot, be ignored. Children need to be protected from the impact of coronavirus, and increasing child benefit is the quickest and most effective way of ensuring families have the additional resources they need in these extraordinarily difficult times.”
Groups signing the joint letter include the Scottish Trades Union Congress, Church of Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland, Citizens Advice Scotland and the Poverty Alliance.
They welcomed steps taken so far to support household incomes during the pandemic, but said low-income families need more help to meet children’s needs and unexpected costs while schools are closed.
