Chancellor urged by SNP to ‘stop pushing children into poverty’

The SNP has urged the Chancellor to “stop pushing children into poverty” – branding Labour “out of touch” for accepting “freebie” clothes and holidays.

SNP work and pensions spokeswoman Kirsty Blackman has written to Rachel Reeves at the start of Challenge Poverty Week and ahead of the Budget on October 30, warning she “must end austerity and start treating poverty as a priority”.

It comes after the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) said on Thursday that there are currently more than 4.3 million children living in poverty in the UK – around a third (30%) of all children – and that implementing the SNP’s proposed package of three measures would lift around 1.2 million youngsters out of poverty.

The SNP is calling for the two-child limit and benefit cap to be abolished, the Bedroom Tax to be scrapped, and Scottish Child Payment to be matched by raising the child element of Universal Credit by £26.70 per child per week around the UK.

Ms Blackman’s letter said the figure of 4.3 million children in poverty is “a scandal” and it is “shameful” that Labour has “actively chosen to push more children into poverty by continuing damaging welfare cuts”.

It said the party’s policies are “punitive” while the SNP’s are “progressive”, and that Scots have been “short-changed” since the general election due to arguments around “freebies” and “donations” accepted by leading Labour figures.

It read: “The Labour Government must end its austerity cuts and start treating poverty as a priority – or thousands more children will fall behind.

“I urge you to stop pushing children into poverty and take action at the UK Budget by abolishing the two-child limit and benefit cap, scrapping the Bedroom Tax, and matching the Scottish Child Payment by raising the child element of Universal Credit.

“The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) published new research showing that the SNP’s proposed package of measures would lift around 1.2 million children out of poverty. That is the action we need if the UK is to stand a chance of eradicating child poverty.

“The SNP Government is having to spend millions of pounds every year mitigating the damage of cuts now being imposed.

“The Labour Government is failing children. It should not be relying on the SNP Government to clean up its mess and protect Scottish children from its welfare cuts – but that is exactly what is happening.

“Scotland’s progress is being seriously undermined. For every step we take, Labour cuts are pushing children back into poverty.

“I hope you’ll agree that – at minimum – the Labour Government must stop the damaging welfare cuts you are choosing to impose.

“People in Scotland were promised change at the general election. Instead of prioritising action on poverty, all they have seen is an out-of-touch Labour Government lining its pockets with £800,000 of clothes, holidays, freebies and donations, while imposing painful austerity cuts on the rest of us.

“We must not lose a generation of children to poverty because of the cuts being imposed by your Government. It’s time to deliver the step-change people were promised.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “No child should be in poverty – that’s why our new cross-government taskforce is developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty and give children the best start in life.

“This comes alongside our wider action to tackle inequality, make work pay and deliver growth to fix the foundations of our country and make everyone better off.

“We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government on our shared goal of tackling poverty.”