UNCRC Article 27
What is the action area?
17 Child poverty
What specific action will we take?
- Support implementation of the three social policy frameworks: Achieving our Potential (poverty and income inequality), Equally Well (health inequalities) and the Early Years Framework (early intervention) which together aim to tackle the long-standing cycles on inequality across Scottish society.
- Under these frameworks there are a wide range of actions being planned or taking place to tackle child poverty, for example: expansion of eligibility for free school meals for children in income deprivation, allowances for children in kinship care, increased support for children reaching school leaving age (including financial support) and encouragement to stay in education post-16. There are also of course a range of policy measures to tackle poverty throughout the whole population. This includes increased investment in income maximisation, work to help people claim the benefits and tax credits they are entitled to and to avoid or minimise debt, and expansion of the Energy Assistance Programme for people in fuel poverty.
- The Scottish Government has agreed that the UK Child Poverty Bill should extend to Scotland.
- The UK Child Poverty Bill introduces measures to commit the UK Government to the eradication of child poverty and places strategic and reporting duties on UK Government and Scottish Government.
The main elements of the Bill as it is currently drafted are:
- It enshrines the Government's commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020 in law, by placing a duty on the Secretary of State to ensure that a range of child poverty targets are met.
- It defines these child poverty targets (based on relative low income, combined low income and material deprivation, absolute low income and persistent poverty).
- It places duties on the Secretary of State to produce an initial UK strategy to eradicate child poverty, and a revised strategy every three years thereafter, and for Scottish Ministers to do the same.
- It places a duty on the Secretary of State to report on an annual basis on progress against the targets, including implementation of the latest strategy across the UK.
- It provides for the establishment of a Child Poverty Commission to advise on strategic and technical matters.
- It places various duties on English Local Authorities to work to reduce child poverty and to prepare local strategies in accordance with this.
Legislation is also intended to support a co-ordinated approach to tackling poverty within Scotland and across the UK and to build consensus and momentum on tackling child poverty.
Why are we doing this?
The UN Committee stated:
The Committee would like to highlight that an adequate standard of living is essential for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development and that child poverty also affects infant mortality rates, access to health and education as well as everyday quality of life of children. In accordance with article 27 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party:
a) adopt and adequately implement the legislation aimed at achieving the target of ending child poverty by 2020, including by establishing measurable indicators for their achievement;
b) give priority in this legislation and in the follow-up actions to those children and their families in most need of support;
c) when necessary, besides giving full support to parents or others responsible for the child, intensify its efforts to provide material assistance and support programmes for children, particularly with regard to nutrition, clothing and housing.
Addressing specific concerns around child poverty will be central to ensuring we have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society - national outcome 6.
What was said in the consultation?
Child poverty was highlighted as a significant area of concern in all strands of the consultation. In the written consultation respondents highlighted a number of different areas that are of concern. For example, fuel poverty was seen as a priority, the impact women's poverty has on children, immediate actions required as a result of the recession versus long-term poverty, the need for specifically a child poverty plan within the overall poverty strategy. There was concern at the events around the cost and quality of childcare and the impact this had on children whose parents who are forced back to, often low paid, work.
Children and young people seem to be particularly aware of the impact housing and health services can have on their standard of living. For example, the gypsy traveller local investigation team identified both of these issues as two of the most important rights from their investigation. There was also discussion of links between child poverty and e.g. sexual health and substance misuse. A number of children and young people mentioned their scepticism at the government being willing and able to address poverty given the current economic situation.