A clear majority of Scots wants the SNP Government to double a £10-a-week anti-poverty payment in next month’s Budget.
Pollsters also found huge support among SNP voters for immediately increasing the Scottish Child Payment, with 74% approving once ‘don’t knows’ are excluded.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “Children and families living in the grip of poverty right now simply cannot wait.
“Scottish ministers must listen to people across the country who are calling on them to do the right thing, and double the Scottish Child Payment now.”
The SCP, worth £520 a year for low income families, is available to under 6s and is expected to be rolled out to kids under 16 by the end of next year.
Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP led Government has also committed to doubling the SCP to £20 a week during this Holyrood term, but campaigners want the policy implemented now.
They believe Finance Secretary Kate Forbes should make it the centrepiece of her Budget in December.
A Survation poll commissioned by the End Child Poverty Coalition shows huge support for a £20 SCP to be brought forward.
Of 1045 people polled, 57% said the Budget should be used to double the payment immediately, with 26% disagreeing and 17% saying they did not know.
Once ‘don’t knows’ are excluded, it left support standing at 68%.
The findings also showed 60% of women backing a doubling next month, with 23% opposing it and 17% saying ‘don’t know.
Around two thirds of SNP voters at the Holyrood election, 65%, approved, while 22% disagreed and 13% opted for ‘don’t know’.
If the latter category is stripped out, support among SNP voters surges to a whopping 74%.
As revealed by the Record this month, over 100 charities, faith groups, trade unions, civic organisations and academics signed an open letter calling on Forbes to use the Budget to deliver a £20 a week SCP.
Around 240,000 children are living in the grip of poverty in Scotland.
Kelly said: “In Scotland, people believe in protecting one another and in doing the right thing. As this new polling makes clear, they overwhelmingly support taking action now to stem the rising tide of child poverty.
Polly Jones, Head of Scotland at the Trussell Trust, said:
“Families across Scotland are facing a really difficult winter. Right now, food banks in the Trussell Trust network in Scotland are giving out a food parcel every three minutes to people in crisis.
"This isn’t right, especially when we have the power to change this. Doubling the Scottish Child Payment now would be a huge boost to Scotland’s struggling families and I hope Ministers will listen to the public and act.”
Claire Telfer at Save the Children said: “This polling confirms what we know and what we’re hearing from parents and families across Scotland: the Scottish Child Payment is making a huge difference but it’s not going far enough and it needs to be doubled.
“We know that many families with young children in Scotland are struggling to make ends meet, parents are going without food or not putting the heating on, to care for their children. As a society we can – and must – do better. Next month’s budget is a golden opportunity to act now and support families and drive down poverty by doubling the Scottish Child Payment.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Child Payment is the most ambitious child poverty reduction measure anywhere in the UK. It is a unique benefit which is already providing the families of around 108,000 children aged under six with £10 a week payments.
“We remain committed to doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 - four times what was originally asked for by poverty campaigners and will deliver this as early as possible. We will outline our plans during the budget process.
“In addition we are investing a further £77 million a year in annual £520 Bridging Payments so supporting a further 150,000 children and young people from low income families ahead of rolling out the Scottish Child Payment to under-16s by the end of 2022.”
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