A top charity is calling for the public to urge the SNP Government to double a £10-a-week payment for low income families.
The Poverty Alliance wants Finance Secretary Kate Forbes to increase the Scottish Child Payment in next month’s Budget.
The £10-a-week SCP has initially been rolled out to younger children as a first step to rolling it out to eligible families with kids under 16.
Scottish Ministers are also committed to doubling the SCP by the end of the Parliament.
But with around 26 per cent of children living in poverty in Scotland, the Alliance believes the £20-a-week needs to be introduced immediately.
Forbes will lay out her annual tax and spending policies on December 9th and supporters of a SCP rise believe this is the ideal opportunity for an announcement.
SNP figures also believe privately that the policy would draw a clear contrast with the Conservative Government, which has cut Universal Credit by £20-a-week.
The Alliance is now asking members of the public to contact Forbes by sending her an email they have drafted.
It reads: “As someone that is deeply concerned about the rising tide of poverty that is sweeping across Scotland, I am writing to urge you to use the upcoming Scottish Government budget to commit to doubling the Scottish Child Payment now. “
The email also states: “If we fail to capitalise on the cross-party support for doubling the payment, then it will be even more challenging to meet Scotland’s child poverty targets. That would be a travesty that we cannot allow to happen.
“Children living in poverty across Scotland right now simply cannot wait.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “It is unacceptable that one in four children in Scotland are growing up in the grip of poverty. But Kate Forbes has a chance to loosen that grip at next month’s budget by immediately doubling the Scottish Child Payment.
Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “Increasing the value of the Scottish Child Payment would be a lifeline for families across the country who are desperately trying to make ends meet. The lack of urgency the SNP have shown is staggering.
“One child in poverty is one too many and one day a day too long.
“The SNP must stop sitting on their hands, and act now to end child poverty.”
Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman said: “The cooperation agreement that put Greens into government recognises the everyday costs that impact those living in poverty.
“That’s why we’ve committed to transformational policies that will have a real impact in tackling poverty like introducing rent controls, free public transport for young people, and doubling the child paying to £20 per week.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Child Payment is the most ambitious anti-poverty measure currently being undertaken anywhere in the UK.
"We have introduced it for children under six and it has already supported over 108,000 children with £10 a week payments.
“We will extend it to under 16s by the end of next year and in the meantime we have introduced Bridging Payments worth an annual £520 this year and next for around 148,000 children of school age – that considerable investment of £130m of financial support is going directly into the pockets of families right now. We have committed to double the payment within this parliamentary term and will set out our plans to do so in the forthcoming budget.”
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