Save the Children, a prominent children’s charity, has called on Members of the Scottish Parliament to support the SNP Government’s Budget, particularly to assist children living in poverty. The charity has also urged Ministers to enhance the Scottish Child Payment for families with low incomes. Finance Secretary Shona Robison unveiled in the draft Budget an additional £2 billion for the NHS and the initiation of the process to eliminate the two-child benefit cap enforced by Westminster. The Scottish Child Payment, which will be provided for each eligible child, is set to increase to £27.15 per week starting in April. Save the Children, in a briefing to MSPs, emphasised the importance of political parties backing the budget to ensure children can benefit from the positive changes. They stated, “The budget includes a number of measures that will support low-income families in Scotland.”
Moreover, Save the Children highlighted the necessity for further action to eradicate child poverty in Scotland and proposed amendments to the budget to align with the 2030 child poverty reduction targets. The charity suggested increasing the Scottish Child Payment to at least £30 in this budget and up to £40 within the Parliament’s term. They explained that boosting the payment to £30 could potentially lift 5,000 children in Scotland out of poverty. The removal of the two-child cap was also emphasised as a crucial step, with immediate benefits for 15,000 children and households seeing an increase in income.
Save the Children’s advocacy for supporting the SNP Budget aligns with their mission to alleviate child poverty in Scotland. By urging MSPs to back the budget and enhance measures to uplift low-income families, the charity is championing the well-being and future prospects of children in need. The proposed amendments to increase the Scottish Child Payment reflect a commitment to addressing child poverty and striving towards long-term goals for societal change.