Interim targets to reduce child poverty in Scotland missed, figures show

Interim targets to reduce child poverty in Scotland have been missed as the latest figures show a reduction in relative child poverty to 22%.

The Scottish Government’s figures for 2023/24 were above the interim target of 18% set by law.

Charities have previously warned the interim target will “almost certainly” be missed.

Legally-binding targets were set by the Scottish Parliament in 2017 to reduce the number of youngsters in relative poverty to less than 10% by 2030.

However, ministers have conceded there is no enforcement mechanism if the targets are missed.

First Minister John Swinney has said the 2030 target can still be met “if there is the right policy focus across the board”, and he has declared that eradicating child poverty is the central mission of his Government.

He has pledged to mitigate the effects of the two-child benefit cap, but payments for this are not expected to begin until 2026.

Figures for absolute child poverty – another method of measurement – also missed the interim target in 2023/24.

They fell to 17% from 23% the previous year, but did not reach the target of 14%.

Data on low income and material deprivation – which measures children in poorer households without basic goods and services – was also released.

This stood at 9% in 2023/24, just above the target level of 8%.

Levels of persistent poverty rose to 23%, well above the target of 8%.

Meanwhile, 20% of working-age adults and 15% of pensioners are in relative poverty after housing costs.

The Scottish Government’s figures also show minority ethnic households are more likely to be in poverty than those of white British ethnicity.

Relative poverty is defined as having a household income less than 60% of the UK median.

Responding to the figures, social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said on Thursday: “This morning’s statistics mark a welcome fall in the number of children in poverty in Scotland.

“The significant progress made is due to Scottish Government actions including our Scottish child payment, extension of free school meals, and delivering £3bn to support households through the cost-of-living crisis.

“But yesterday’s statement from the chancellor made very clear our progress is at risk.

“Labour’s austerity drive is not only holding progress back – they are actively pushing at least 50,000 children into poverty with planned welfare cuts.”

Dave Hawkey, senior research fellow at the think tank IPPR Scotland, said: “No child deserves to live in poverty, yet these figures highlight the work still to be done to deliver the First Minister’s number one priority of eradicating child poverty.

“As the modelling we published earlier this week confirmed, devolved policies – especially the Scottish child payment – will continue to make a positive difference and we forecast that as a result, child poverty in Scotland will be significantly lower than the rest of the UK.

“Yet, the same modelling also shows that on the basis of current social security policies and highly optimistic assumptions about parental employment, the Scottish Government will almost certainly miss its legally binding 2030 targets, possibly by some distance.”

Oxfam Scotland noted the sharp rise in levels of persistent poverty.

Advocacy adviser Lewis Ryder-Jones said: “While fewer children living in poverty is obviously good news, missing this key target is a national embarrassment for a country as wealthy as Scotland and the stark consequence of collective political negligence.”

Child Poverty Action Group director John Dickie said: “These latest statistics show that Holyrood policies, especially the Scottish child payment, are working to shift the dial for children in Scotland in the face of poverty rising to record highs across the rest of the UK.

“It is obviously disappointing that progress falls short of the interim targets, but the statistics show that when government invests to support families, then child poverty will fall.”