An action plan to reduce child poverty in West Dunbartonshire has been drawn up as chiefs try to reduce the rising numbers of families living on the breadline.
Child poverty has continued to rise over the past six years – with an extra 500 young people forced to live in poverty during that period.
West Dunbartonshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) have produced a new Child Action Report in a bid to tackle the increasing numbers.
The 75-page document sets out the scale of the challenge, with most recent figures showing there were 4189 local children in poverty – joint fourth worst in the country.
Introducing the report, SNP councillor Diane Docherty says an unknown future lies ahead as the area undergoes multiple challenges.
She says: “Unfortunately, child poverty is the reality of life for many children in West Dunbartonshire.
“A reality that is clearly illustrated in this report. Add to this the reality of the challenges we face as we recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic; the uncertainty surrounding Brexit; and the impact of government welfare reform and we are entering a very challenging and largely unknown future.
“As we face these circumstances it is clear there will be significant challenges ahead that will have an impact on household incomes and living standards.
“The worst effects are likely to be felt most severely by those already most disadvantaged; children.
“This fact alone drives our determination to take action and force positive change that is based on equality and human rights.”
It comes as the Lennox Herald reported last week how Scottish Government attainment funding, which aims to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap in the country’s poorest areas, will be slashed.
Last month, we also told how more than 600 desperate families have turned to West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare over fears they won’t be able to afford gifts for their kids this Christmas.
The report states there are a variety of factors which influence child poverty, including income from social security, employment and costs of
living.
It says the risk of poverty is higher for children in lone-parent families, in a household where someone is disabled, in families with three or more children, in minority ethnic families, families with a child under one year old and families where the mother is under the age of 25.
Child poverty in West Dunbartonshire is up to four percent above the NHSGGC average and the report states getting closer to and below this figure should be considered as a key step.
Focussing efforts on families and children with experience of the care system, children with caring responsibilities and those living in areas of high material deprivation have been highlighted.
The report also explains that ‘life transitions’, including having a child, relationship breakdowns and losing a job, are some of the challenges which have a direct impact on the quality of life.
It states that the approach should be delivering services and support that mitigates the negative impact of these life events.
West Dunbartonshire consistently appears towards the top of poverty league tables, with the paper stating areas are affected by deep rooted poverty dating back to post-industrial decline.
It outlines a number of areas to be tackled, including maximising income from benefits, reducing the cost of living by measures such as cutting the cost of the school day and supporting more people into work.
It adds that “considerable progress” must be made if the region is to reach Scottish Government targets, stipulating that by 2030, less than 10 percent of children should be living in relative poverty.
At the moment, around one in four children in Scotland lives in poverty.
Commenting on the figures and report, Labour councillor John Mooney said: “This is a shocking statistic and we need to do much more if we want to help struggling parents and help improve the life chances of our young people living in poverty and unlikely to achieve their potential in life. I feel sad when I think about young mothers having to go without to feed their children, or families struggling to get the day-to-day necessities that many of us take for granted.
“It’s even more depressing to see young people in relative poverty having to take on a caring role and sacrificing sharing time with their friends or putting caring for family members before their own education.
A council spokeswoman said: “We are committed to doing all we can to reduce the impact of poverty and improve the lives of those most affected by deprivation, including children.”
