Figures reveal that more than one in four kids live in poverty

“The fact that so many are is due to the attack on families through austerity which is slashing incomes.

“The UK Government is refusing to end the Bedroom Tax and two-child tax credit cap; and is continuing with its refusal to implement a Minimum Maintenance Payment for single-parent families; keep the £20 uplift to Universal Credit and extend this to legacy benefits; and increase the minimum wage to a real living wage.

“In stark contrast, the Scottish Government has made eradicating child poverty a top priority using the powers at its disposal to tackle child poverty.

“Most notably, they have provided the £10 a week Scottish Child Payment which will lift 30,000 children out of poverty this year.

“In addition to this, the Scottish Government has also introduced the Baby Box, the Best Start Grant, Best Start Foods, Bedroom Tax mitigation, the Child Winter Heating Allowance and has provided the means for Councils to freeze council tax for another year to keep costs low.

“Measures taken by the Scottish Government are lifting thousands of children out of poverty by providing the essential support they need.”

A child is said to be growing up in poverty if their family income is below this poverty line: for a family of one adult and one child, 60 per cent of median income in 2018/19 was £268 per week; a family of one adult and two children, £330 per week; a family of two adults and one child, £370 per week and for a family of two adults and two children, £432 per week.

Across North Lanarkshire the number of kids living in poverty rose by 1.8 per cent from 2015 to 2019.

The number rose from 15,503 in 2015 to 16,528 in 2019.

North Lanarkshire Council insists it has led the way for local authorities in finding ways to tackle child poverty.

NLC deputy leader Paul Kelly said: “Poverty is a huge issue for people in North Lanarkshire and right across Scotland, and things are only getting worse because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It has a devastating effect on the lives and it’s often women, children, minority groups and disabled people who are affected most.

“As an administration, we’re committed to tackling poverty through our Community Investment Fund – the largest investment programme of any council in Scotland to transform our towns and communities and provide thousands of jobs.

“We also have Club 365, which offers free school meals to children throughout the year, a North Lanarkshire Child Payment, free sanitary provision in our schools and a Universal Credit assistance fund.

“This is in addition to establishing a Tackling Poverty Working Group which makes sure every aspect of council services does all it can to support residents who may be suffering poverty.

“Our welfare rights teams also help ensure people are receiving all the financial support they are entitled to.”

“We’re trying to play our part – after 13 years of failure to tackle poverty both UK and Scottish Governments should be doing much more to eradicate the scourge of poverty in our society.”

in poverty” - MP Marion Fellows