From UK Poverty 2026, published today: Child poverty rates in Scotland (23%) remain much lower than those in England (31%) and Wales (31%), similar to levels in Northern Ireland (24%). This is likely to be due, at least in part, to the Scottish Child Payment (SCP). This highlights the effect benefits can have in reducing poverty. Another driver of lower child poverty rates in Scotland and Northern Ireland are lower housing costs. https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2026-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-uk 23% of children in poverty in Scotland is, of course, not good enough and campaigners should keep calling for its eradication but, equally, they should be careful … Continue reading Three quarters of a million children in poverty, in England or Wales would not be in poverty if they lived under a government following SNP policies like the Child Payment