Scottish Child Payment fails to reduce child poverty.

The Scottish Child Payment is under scrutiny, with calls for a reevaluation to place more emphasis on prevention, location-specific interventions, and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable families. Des McNulty, Scotland’s former social justice minister, has highlighted the need for a shift in focus in a paper published by Reform Scotland.

According to McNulty, the Scottish Government’s strategy to reduce child poverty between 2017-24 has become more narrowly focused, with cash interventions taking precedence as the primary tool for progress. The paper, titled ‘Tackling Child Poverty in Scotland: Striking the Right Balance’, outlines the evolution of the government’s approach over the years.

• From 2011-2014, the focus was on early intervention and prevention, prioritizing asset-based approaches and putting children and families’ needs at the forefront of service design.
• Between 2014-2017, the strategy was ambitious and identified three key priorities: Pockets (to reduce income poverty), Prospects (to break cycles of poverty), and Places (to address area-based factors that worsen individual poverty).
• After setting targets in The Child Poverty Act (Scotland) 2017, the approach shifted towards addressing insufficient income from employment, social security, and the rising cost of living.

While recent initiatives like Best Start, Bright Futures (2022) aimed to support parents into work and increase childcare provisions, the focus on income supplements like the Scottish Child Payment has overshadowed funding for early intervention and prevention. Despite the significant cost associated with income support, McNulty argues that a more effective approach lies in empowering local partners to work closely with vulnerable families.

McNulty criticises the Scottish Child Payment for its broad approach, highlighting that it does not account for family circumstances or the intergenerational transmission of poverty in certain communities. He stresses the importance of prevention, place-focused interventions, and integrated support for families as key elements in tackling child poverty effectively.

Chris Deerin, director of Reform Scotland, acknowledges the SNP’s commitment to addressing child poverty but emphasises the need for a critical examination of the methods employed. He praises McNulty’s paper for its research and calls for better understanding of outcomes in combating poverty.

In conclusion, McNulty urges the Scottish government to reassess its strategies, focusing on targeted support through the social security system and local empowerment to provide holistic and integrated support to families in need. By implementing these changes, Scotland can make significant progress in tackling child poverty and driving public service reform.