Tackle soaring poverty by matching Scottish child payment, SNP tells Chancellor

The SNP has urged Rachel Reeves to clamp down on “soaring levels of child poverty” by introducing a UK-wide version of the Scottish child payment.

The party said the Chancellor should use her spring statement later this month to “finally deliver the real and long-overdue action” needed to tackle poverty.

It said that should include scrapping the two-child benefit cap and abolishing the so-called bedroom tax – two policies introduced by the previous Conservative government.

SNP MP Kirsty Blackman, the party’s work and pensions spokeswoman, said it was “deeply concerning to see reports that the Labour government will water down action on child poverty and only bring forward fudged proposals that won’t fully scrap the two-child benefit cap”.

The Prime Minister has refused to end the two-child cap but reports suggest the Chancellor could mitigate the policy for children under five.

The policy limits Universal Credit to the first two children in most circumstances.

Ms Reeves is also widely expected to cut the welfare budget by billions in an effort to stop the rise in people claiming disability benefits.

The SNP said it wanted the spring statement to instead include measures to tackle rising levels of poverty.

Research from the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the party, found that matching the Scottish child payment UK-wide by raising the child element of Universal Credit would lift more than half a million (563,000) children out of poverty, including 40,000 in Scotland.

The payment provides £26.70 each week per child to eligible low-income families.

The call follows a warning from the Resolution Foundation that the number of children living in poverty across the UK is expected to rise to 4.6 million under the current government – the highest level on record.

It forecasts UK child poverty will increase from an estimated 31% in 2024-25 to 33% by 2029-30 which would drag another 300,000 children into poverty.

Ms Blackman said: “The Chancellor must use her spring budget to finally deliver the real and long-overdue action needed to tackle the soaring levels of child poverty in the UK.

“It is shameful that under the Labour government child poverty is rising and expected to hit the highest levels on record by the end of this parliament – with 4.6 million children in poverty.”

The MP for Aberdeen North said “the time for excuses is over” as she accused Labour of “actively pushing children into poverty”.

She added: “It is deeply concerning to see reports that the Labour Government will water down action on child poverty and only bring forward fudged proposals that won’t fully scrap the two-child benefit cap – let alone take the more ambitious action needed to eradicate child poverty.

“Children don’t magically stop needing food, clothing and a roof over their heads at the age of five. Given how long we have waited for action, it is an insult for Reeves to bring forward these watered-down plans.

“Scrapping the two-child benefit cap in full is the bare minimum needed to make a dent in poverty. The Chancellor must go much further – and match the more ambitious action being delivered by the SNP in Scotland, which would lift a million children out of poverty.

“As a result of the SNP Government’s leadership, Scotland is the only part of the UK where child poverty is expected to fall – it’s time the UK Government matched this action.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “No child should be in poverty – that’s why our Ministerial Taskforce is exploring all levers available across government to give children across the United Kingdom the best start in life.

“As we fix the foundations of the economy, we’re increasing the Living Wage, uprating benefits and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families with children by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions to help low-income families and make everyone better off.”