MSP hails 'game changer' anti-poverty Scottish Child Payment

NEARLY 9000 children across Moray and Aberdeenshire have benefited from the Scottish Child Payment scheme, new figures have revealed.

Statistics recently released by the Scottish Government have shown that a total of 8985 children – 2965 in Moray and 6202 in Aberdeenshire – have received the payment since the scheme’s inception in February 2021.

Now available to all eligible children under 16, payments totalling £2,214,930 (Moray) and £4,463,865 (Aberdeenshire) have been made.

The Scottish Child Payment is unique to Scotland and is projected to lift around 50,000 children out of poverty in 2023-24.

It has been hailed as a “game-changer” by anti-poverty charities and is backed up with £442 million of funding from the Scottish Government in the next financial year.

The scheme was described as a "momentous achievement" by Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam.

She said: “I am delighted that these new figures show a significant uptake in families being supported by the Scottish Child Payment in Aberdeenshire and Moray with 8985 children benefitting since its inception across both those council areas.

“The Scottish Child Payment, which is now £25 a week – a 150 per cent increase – is a momentous achievement of this SNP Government and is the most vital and ambitious poverty reduction measure in the UK.

“This flagship payment underlines the SNP Scottish Government’s unwavering commitment to tackling child poverty, particularly as the UK government’s cost of living crisis deepens.

“While the Scottish Government continues to dig deep in its fight to end child poverty, its efforts are repeatedly curtailed by the UK Government’s reckless pursuit of ideologically-driven austerity.

“Only independence gives Scotland the full powers to tackle poverty at source and uphold the values of respect, dignity and compassion for all.”

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