IT was described in the Holyrood Parliament on Wednesday as the most “ambitions and anti-poverty measure currently being undertaken in any part of the UK”. I speak of the Scottish Child Payment, a payment of £10/week which opened for applications this week and saw 28,000 application in the first 48 hours.

It is estimated that more than 194,000 children in Scotland could be eligible for this benefit, however it must not be allowed to be eroded by the Westminster Government’s removal of the temporary uplift to Universal Credit (due to end in April 2021). All devolved governments of the UK have raised this issue with the Department for Work and Pensions in an effort to have the uplift made permanent.

READ MORE: Scottish child payment: Government receives nearly 30,000 requests in two days

The Child Payment is a clear demonstration that the Scottish Governments is committed to tackling child poverty with the limited welfare powers that are devolved to Scotland, which currently stands at only 14% of all welfare spend in Scotland.
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk