Tackle child poverty by making childcare flexible & affordable & by uprating devolved benefits in line with inflation
We're backing calls by social researchers for the Scottish Government to tackle child poverty by making childcare more flexible and affordable, and by uprating devolved benefits in line with inflation.
A major new report by the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation warns that one in four (230,000) children in Scotland are living in poverty. It finds that most are in poverty because their parents are restricted by a lack of work, mainly due to disability, or the struggle to juggle work and childcare. In most cases, it is the mother who works part time or is locked out of the jobs market.
Alison Johnstone, Social Security spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said:
"It's heart-breaking that so many children are living in poverty, and this new research underlines the need to give greater support to families with disabilities and single parents who struggle to balance work and childcare.
"While the UK Government's austerity agenda is largely to blame, it's vital that the Scottish Government uses it powers to make working and childcare flexible and affordable.
"I previously pressed for devolved benefits to be uprated in line with inflation but my amendments to the government's social security bill were rejected. It's not too late for Scottish Ministers to think again."