10 hours ago
Scottish Government group urges £55 a week Scottish Child Payment
The Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group has issued a report on tackling poverty.
Experts have called on the SNP Government to double a lifeline benefit for low income families to £55 a week.
The hike in the Scottish Child Payment would be a step towards providing a 'minimum income' of £11,500 a year for people in poverty.
The devolved Government set up an expert group to examine how Ministers could deliver a guaranteed income level for Scots.
One of the measures recommended is a boost to the SCP, currently set at £27.15 a week, and which is paid for every child in eligible low income families.
The group wants a doubling of the payment by 2031 and an end to the two child benefit cap and the five-week wait for Universal Credit payments.
They claim these policies would deliver economic growth and reduce poverty and inequality.
The experts have also called for an interim minimum income guarantee in Scotland by 2036, paid on a time-limited basis for those able to work.
Based on 2024/25 prices, the level would be £11,500 for a single adult, with more for couples and parents.
Russell Gunson of The Robertson Trust, who is also chair of the Government's minimum income guarantee expert group, said:
'If we've learned one thing in recent years it's that we can all need a helping hand from time to time. A minimum income guarantee could be transformative, putting in place a universal guarantee that's there for everyone in Scotland.
'Given the levels of poverty and inequality we see, we must act urgently.
'With technological change and an ageing population, we need to build security for all to make sure we can take the economic opportunities in front of Scotland. A minimum income guarantee could future-proof Scotland.
'With greater financial security, we can empower our people to live well, meet their potential and build a better future for themselves, for their families and for the country as a whole.'
Case study
Jo, 46, found herself unable to work and living off benefits after a breakdown in 2017.
The former bar worker was eventually diagnosed with autism and ADHD and moved from Edinburgh to social housing in Falkirk.
Surviving on just £300-a-month, she said he could not afford a washing machine or proper flooring.
Now back in Edinburgh, she helped shape the new report as part of a lived experience panel and hopes to train as a counsellor.
She said a minimum income guarantee would offer a vital safety net and help tackle the stigma faced by people in poverty.
Jo said: 'If there had been a minimum income guarantee it would have helped prevent that massive decline. I stayed really isolated, very poor, very stressed and unable to access anything. That safety net would have made a huge difference.
'The shame factor is a big one too. When you're that poor, the shame is really tough.'
Satwat Rehman, another member of the group and chief executive of One Parent Families Scotland, said:
' Single parents – 90 per cent of whom are women – are among the most economically vulnerable in our society, with 41 per cent living in poverty.
'Too many single parents are trapped in low-paid, part-time, insecure work while navigating complex and inadequate support systems that fail to reflect the true cost of raising a family alone.
'A minimum income guarantee would provide a lifeline, ensuring no single-parent household falls below a dignified minimum income – whether in or out of work, studying or training – and ensure families and children thrive and not just survive.'
