New research shows rise in child poverty

Child poverty throughout South Lanarkshire is on the rise, according to damning new figures.

Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has revealed that hundreds of families in South Lanarkshire have seen their incomes cut by the UK Government’s benefit cap – with 333 of the 581 households affected in the local authority area being single parent families.

SNP MSP for Rutherglen Clare Haughey criticised the effects of the benefit cap as having a “devastating impact”on locals.

Last month, the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) revealed that around 230,000 Scottish children are living in relative poverty, claiming the rise since 2010 was“mainly due to UK Governmentimposed social security cuts”.

Across Scotland, 11,256 households have had their support stripped since the cap was introduced.

Commenting on the figures, Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey pointed the finger of blame at the Westminster government.

She said:“Tory austerity is having a devastating impact on thousands of low-income families across Scotland.

“The UK government should be deeply ashamed of stripping the income of households throughout South Lanarkshire and driving up child poverty.

“Rutherglen and Cambuslang have been hit hard by the benefit cap, as well as a host of other Tory welfare cuts – including the freeze on working-age benefits, unfair sanctions and the roll-out of Universal Credit.

“I see the impact of UK Government policies on a daily basis in my constituency. Our welfare system is meant to be a safety net to help those most in need – instead the Tory Government punishes the poorest in society, taking money from families who are already struggling to get by.”

The United Nations recently condemned the UK Government’s “punitive, mean-spirited and often callous”treatment of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable in a damning report studying the effect of social security and related policies on extreme poverty and human rights.