Guest blog: Scotland must move from managing poverty to preventing it

Everyday at Aberlour we see the real-life impact of poverty on children and families. We know that families don’t have enough for food and heating, but we know it’s so much more than that. It’s the despair and lack of hope that poverty causes, the lack of hope, or ability to participate in society.

That’s why we need to all we can to end poverty.

More than 1 in 5 children in Scotland continue to live in poverty – that is simply unacceptable.

We recognise that Scottish Government actions, particularly the Scottish Child Payment, are beginning to make a difference. We also welcome to Scottish Government action on the 2-child limit. Both actions will lift more children out of poverty.

However, with looming financial uncertainty due to UK-level benefit changes and our most disadvantaged families still in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, more action is needed over the next five years to sustain progress.

Ahead of next year’s Scottish elections we urge all parties and politicians to go much further and faster if we want to see real and meaningful progress on ending child poverty and to help meet our child poverty targets in 5 years’ time.

The next Scottish Parliament must be the Parliament that ends child poverty.

Despite challenges, the targets remain achievable if the Scottish Government prioritises investment, leverages all policy tools, and collaborates with the UK Government where necessary. Increased investment in social security, particularly a significant rise in the Scottish Child Payment, is essential.

However, social security alone won’t lift families out of poverty long-term. It must be combined with action on housing, employment, childcare, and addressing the public debt crisis.

Immediate support is needed for those in greatest need – including disabled families, lone parent families and black and minority ethnic families – alongside long-term strategies to build community capacity and create sustainable routes out of poverty.

Too many children in Scotland still grow up in poverty. Scotland must move from managing poverty to preventing it. Scotland’s families demand better. Scotland’s children demand better. Scotland demands better.