Concern at child poverty

MSP slams budget

Elaine Smith has claimed the Scottish Government’s 2018/19 budget “fails to tackle the crisis of child poverty”.

During the stage one debate on the budget, the Central Scotland MSP also condemned the SNP’s plans as “inadequate, lightweight and feeble”.

Ms Smith highlighted the sustained cuts to council budgets and public services, in particular the growing child poverty crisis in Scotland, with more than 260,000 children affected.

The former Coatbridge MSP said: “It is long past time that the SNP took radical action to eradicate poverty and the inequality that underpins it; their plans simply do not go far enough.”

Drawing from Scottish Labour’s alternative budget plans, Ms Smith used her speech to endorse the “Give Me 5” campaign which recommends that the Scottish Government use its new welfare powers to top up child benefit payments by £5 per week.

With the Institute for Fiscal Studies ( IFS) forecasting that a further 100,000 children in Scotland will be pushed into poverty by 2020, the politician urged the Scottish Government to include plans to top-up child benefit payments in its 201819 budget.

She said: “Topping up child benefit is undoubtedly an extremely effective way to reduce material deprivation for all households that are struggling.

“If the Scottish Government was to use its taxation powers progressively, in line with Labour’s budget plans, the cost of topping up child benefit could be met.”