The funding announced by First Minister John Swinney was originally earmarked to support the government mitigating the two-child limit before the UK Government scrapped it across the UK.
Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson has said that £10 million of funding from the Scottish Government will help to tackle child poverty here in North Lanarkshire and across Scotland.
The funding announced by First Minister John Swinney was originally earmarked to support the government mitigating the two-child limit before the UK Government scrapped it across the UK.
The money will help families and households across Scotland cover the cost of life’s essentials and to deal with emergencies, with the majority of the funding will be split between charities and government programmes that provide emergency financial support, including the Scottish Welfare Fund, Aberlour Children’s Charity, Children First and the Corra Foundation.
Ms Adamson said: “Under John Swinney’s leadership, the SNP Scottish Government has made eradicating child poverty it’s top priority.
“Thanks to policies introduced by the SNP in government including the Scottish Child Payment, baby box, free school meals, and free bus travel for under-22s, Scotland is the only part of the UK where child poverty rates have fallen.
“There are however still too many children growing up in poverty in Scotland and that is unacceptable. That’s why this announcement is so welcome as it will support the children and families who need it most.
“Next week, the SNP Government will set out in more detail further measures to tackle child poverty here in Motherwell and Wishaw and across Scotland in the Scottish Budget.”
A further £1 million will support various strands of the Scottish Government’s national Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-2026, including parental employability schemes, funding to support women back into the workforce, additional investment into the King’s Trust’s NHS employability programmes, and targeted support for households experiencing homelessness.
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Visiting children’s charity Children First, First Minister John Swinney said: “When I became First Minister, I said that I will pursue priorities that will make Scotland the best our country can be, and the most important priority that I have pursued in government has been that of eradicating child poverty.
“We have made progress. Scotland is the only part of the UK where relative child poverty rates fell in the last year. Our investment in a more dignified and generous social security system, funded childcare, free school meals and free bus travel for under-22s is putting more money in families’ pockets.
“However, as we start 2026, there are still far too many children in Scotland growing up hungry, or cold, and unable to reach their full potential. That is unacceptable.
“Next week we will set out in more detail our intention to put tackling child poverty at the heart of the next Scottish Budget and I look forward to unveiling landmark interventions to drive this work forward.”
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Chief Executive of Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, Mary Glasgow added: “These funds from the Scottish Government will allow Children First to offer life changing and immediate support to thousands of children as part of the national mission to eradicate child poverty.
“Through our national support line we will be able to reach more children and families to offer the financial, practical and emotional support they need to improve their circumstances and tackle the hardships they face in the short and longer term.”
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