The proportion of tax credit claimants not moving to universal credit (UC) when required to – and losing all of their benefits as a result – has jumped to 39%, up from 25% in July, DWP figures published today show. That’s more than 180,000 people whose ‘legacy benefit’ claim has been terminated without safely making the move to UC.
Speaking today (Tuesday 07/05/24) following the Scottish Parliament’s nomination of John Swinney as Scotland’s next First Minister, John Dickie, Director of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said, “It is hugely encouraging that the incoming First Minister has already said he will make child poverty his number one priority. For the one in four children still locked in hardship that pledge needs to be acted on, and fast.
With child poverty at a record high, the prime minister has now clearly decided that making kids poor is his political priority. After covid and the cost of living crisis, struggling families need a helping hand not another kick in the teeth.
The Prime Minister must know he can’t scare people into good health, but his words this morning will be chilling for low-income families up and down the country who rely on our social security system for help.
Today’s official poverty statistics show child poverty has reached a record high with an estimated 100,000 more children pulled into poverty last year.
Rising child poverty across rest of UK suggests Scottish policies are helping families but campaigners say new data must act as a “stark reminder” more is needed to meet legally binding child poverty targets.
For almost fifteen years, the four million kids from poor families have been at the bottom of the pile and today is no different. This was a Budget all but blind to buckling family budgets and broken public services and will leave a legacy of crumbling classrooms, cold homes, and empty tummies.
“If the Scottish government can manage to drive down child poverty through the Scottish child payment there is absolutely no reason UK government cannot provide equivalent investment”
Charity’s briefing to MPs warns of ‘catastrophic’ results if UK government policies continue to ignore children in poverty. Budget must scrap the two-child limit, remove the benefit cap and increase child benefit by £20 a week.