Holyrood set an interim target for the proportion of children in poverty to be less than 18 per cent by 2023-24.
But figures released yesterday show relative child poverty in 2023-24 reduced from 26 per cent to 22 per cent in Scotland, while absolute child poverty fell from 23 per cent to 17 per cent.
The reduction comes in spite of the SNP government implementing the Scottish Child Payment for low income families.
First Minister John Swinney has cited eradicating child poverty as his top priority.
His government announced the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap. It has a 2030 legal target on child poverty, which experts in the sector believe will not be hit.
Chris Birt of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in Scotland said: "The First Minister wants to eradicate child poverty and every party in the Parliament signed up to these targets. Today should be a thundering wake-up call."
Swinney insisted that tackling child poverty in Scotland will be hampered by welfare cuts coming from Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Speaking at Holyrood yesterday he said: "We are once again, as we found with the last Conservative government, swimming against a tide of rising poverty levels as a consequence of UK Government decision-making."
But campaigners insisted more needs to be done in Scotland.
Fiona King of Save the Children Scotland said: "In contrast to what is happening across the rest of the UK, it is positive to see child poverty reducing across Scotland for the first time in many years.
"But the legally binding interim child poverty targets have been missed. That means too many children being denied an equal opportunity to thrive. We are deeply disappointed to have not seen more progress.
"We are now at a crossroads. Politicians from all parties must now choose to work together for a better future for children in Scotland and take bold action."
Dave Hawkey, senior research fellow at the IPPR Scotland think tank, said: "Modelling shows that, on the basis of current soc...
But figures released yesterday show relative child poverty in 2023-24 reduced from 26 per cent to 22 per cent in Scotland, while absolute child poverty fell from 23 per cent to 17 per cent.
The reduction comes in spite of the SNP government implementing the Scottish Child Payment for low income families.
First Minister John Swinney has cited eradicating child poverty as his top priority.
His government announced the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap. It has a 2030 legal target on child poverty, which experts in the sector believe will not be hit.
Chris Birt of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in Scotland said: "The First Minister wants to eradicate child poverty and every party in the Parliament signed up to these targets. Today should be a thundering wake-up call."
Swinney insisted that tackling child poverty in Scotland will be hampered by welfare cuts coming from Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Speaking at Holyrood yesterday he said: "We are once again, as we found with the last Conservative government, swimming against a tide of rising poverty levels as a consequence of UK Government decision-making."
But campaigners insisted more needs to be done in Scotland.
Fiona King of Save the Children Scotland said: "In contrast to what is happening across the rest of the UK, it is positive to see child poverty reducing across Scotland for the first time in many years.
"But the legally binding interim child poverty targets have been missed. That means too many children being denied an equal opportunity to thrive. We are deeply disappointed to have not seen more progress.
"We are now at a crossroads. Politicians from all parties must now choose to work together for a better future for children in Scotland and take bold action."
Dave Hawkey, senior research fellow at the IPPR Scotland think tank, said: "Modelling shows that, on the basis of current soc...
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Daily Record (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 28, 2025