Poverty increasing ‘from unacceptably high level’

SOCIETY: Scottish Government lauded for work but urged to be more ambitious

One of the country’s leading social change groups has warned poverty in Scotland is rising from an already “unacceptably high level”.

In its latest report on poverty in Scotland, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said almost one in five people in Scotland live in poverty, with the rate of child poverty sitting at one in four.

The organisation, which was established to combat the impact of inequality and the root causes of poverty more than 115 years ago, notes action taken by the Scottish Government has shown “how seriously” Holyrood is taking the issue, but called for more ambitious developments in housing, social security and work.

The number of people living in poverty in Scotland is at a lower level since 1999-2002, but since 2009 it has started to increase according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The foundation adds programmes like the Scottish Child Payment, although positive in its approach, will not help reduce poverty on its own.

They further note interim targets set by the Scottish Government to reduce child poverty to 8% by 2023/24 are unlikely to be hit.

The Scottish Government has set itself a statutory target of reducing child poverty to 10% by 2030.

In her report, economist Emma Congreve said: “The announcement of the Scottish Child Payment has been widely recognised as having the potential to make a sizeable difference to children’s lives.

“But even an investment on this scale, which is expected to reduce child poverty by three percentage points, will not bring Scotland close to its interim child poverty target based on current projections, nor should we expect social security to do all the heavy lifting.”

The SNP’S social justice spokesman, Neil Gray MP, said: “The Scottish Government has made the right decision to take a very different route to the Tories at Westminster.

“Whether it comes to a social security system based on dignity, fairness and respect, promoting the living wage and delivering new homes, they are taking actions to tackle poverty and inequality.

“However, we could go further – it’s time for Scotland to have the full powers of independence.”