SCOTLAND is on course to miss a child poverty reduction target by a “large margin”, a report has warned.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said that the target will be missed unless political parties make changes in the next Scottish parliament.
Its report shows that about one in four children remains in poverty, and levels of poverty are “largely the same” as they were at the start of the 2021 parliamentary session. However, it said there are signs the Scottish Child Payment is having an impact.
The JRF is calling for all parties standing in next year’s election to increase social security spending, and expand free nursery places for low-income households, in a bid to come within range of hitting the target. The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 set targets for reduction to 18% by 2024-25 and to 10% by 2030-31.
The Poverty in Scotland 2025 report says that the Scottish Government has not met the interim targets and “remains far from the 2030-31 final targets”.
It adds that unless there are changes, “the Scottish Parliament will miss its child poverty reduction target by a large margin”.
Other key findings show poverty is deepening, with nearly one in 10 people in very deep poverty – ie, with an income below 40% of the median. It also shows 73% of children in poverty live in a home with a working parent.
Housing costs are causing poverty, with one in 10 renters being pulled into poverty.
Chris Birt, Joseph Rowntree Foundation associate director for Scotland, said: “This report shows the results of today’s failures on tackling poverty, but there is so much we can do to make things better, if our politicians have the courage to act boldly.
“With nearly a quarter of a million children still experiencing poverty, there is much to be done to ensure every child in Scotland has the childhood they deserve.
“We should be aiming for a country where everyone has a decent affordable home, where work gives us enough to get by on, and where we all have enough to pay the bills.
“It is crucial that the next parliament focuses on the things that matter to people, like tackling child poverty.”
The report shows that relative poverty, absolute poverty and persistent poverty would all need to reduce by more than 10 percentage points over the next Scottish Parliament for the target to be met.
The JRF report also analysed child poverty at a local authority level for the first time.
It found poverty rates fell in 27 out of 32 council areas in 2023-24 compared to 2019-20, saying this could be due to the impact of the Child Payment. However, researchers noted a rise in poverty rates over that period in many parts of the Central Belt.
The JRF is calling for each party standing at next year’s Holyrood election to commit to meeting the child poverty reduction target.
First Minister John Swinney (pictured) said: “Tackling child poverty is this Government’s defining mission and our determination is backed up by a commitment to put more money in people’s pockets.
“There are fewer children in poverty in Scotland than the rest of the UK because we have made bold policy choices backed by an unwavering resolve.
“The Scottish Child Payment was benefiting around 322,000 children and their families as of the end of June. Our free school meals programme is providing nutritious meals to more than 230,000 primary school pupils.
“We have cut costs for commuters by scrapping peak rail fares. Some 2.3 million people travel free on buses. And we’re mitigating the two-child benefits limit early next year. The UK
Government, if it is serious about tackling poverty, must match our ambition and, at the very least, fully scrap the two-child limit so that a generation of children don’t have their opportunities limited by inaction.
“We have made a difference through bold, game-changing policies. The blueprint is there. It is time for the UK Government to act.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are working closely with and supporting the Scottish Government through the largest real-terms settlement in the history of devolution.
“The Government is determined to bring down child poverty. We’ve uprated benefits, increased the national minimum wage and are supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a fair repayment rate on Universal Credit deductions.
“We will publish an ambitious child poverty strategy later this year to ensure we deliver fully-funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the country.”
