Over 300 children across Stirling could benefit from the Scottish Government’s ground breaking anti-poverty payment, new figures have revealed.
The Scottish Child Payment will be worth £10 per child for low-income families by the end of 2022, with introduction for under-6s starting by early 2021.
Latest figures from the Scottish Fiscal Commission estimate that 194,000 children aged under six in Scotland will be eligible for the new Scottish Child Payment – with over 3000 children and families estimated to benefit in Stirling.
The brand new benefit was described as a “game changer” and a “lifeline” by anti-poverty campaigners and is central to the SNP’s ambitions to tackle child poverty.
SNP MSP Bruce Crawford said:
“The Scottish Child Payment is an ambitious and ground-breaking new benefit which will directly tackle child poverty across the country.
“This support is needed more than ever, and when this additional £10 per week per child becomes available in February, it will be a lifeline for many such families across the Stirling area.
“It will help reduce financial pressures and demonstrates the potential of social security to make a positive difference and reflect our society’s shared values of compassion and fairness.
“Tory cuts are driving too many families in Stirling into poverty – but the SNP Scottish Government is determined to use every power at our disposal to help families make ends meet.”
Notes:
In June 2019, the Scottish Government had forecast that 170,000 children aged under six will be eligible for the Scottish Child Payment. This figure was presented at the first policy position paper for the Scottish Child Payment and has been used since then to respond to press enquiries, and most recently in the PfG. Estimates were most recently shared with media in January 2020 – https://www.gov.scot/news/170-000-children-eligible-for-new-benefit/
On Tuesday 8 September the Scottish Fiscal Commission will publish their updated forecasts, accounting for the Covid impacts. These forecasts estimate that 194,000 children under 6 will be eligible for the Scottish Child Payment in 2020-21.
Once fully rolled-out to under 16 year olds, in 2022-23, thee Scottish Fiscal Commission estimate that there could be 499,000 eligible children. We remain committed to rolling out the benefit to families with children under 16.
The headline figures used in the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s media release refer to the forecast caseload of recipient children as opposed to eligible children.
