In 2017 all Holyrood’s political parties backed the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act, enshrining in law targets to cut the number of children in poverty to less than 10% by 2030. Eight years on, with only five years to go, over one in five – 220 000 - of our children remain locked in poverty. Behind these statistics lie another generation of children whose health is too often damaged, whose education is undermined and whose life chances are diminished because their parents don’t have an adequate income.

The headline statistics remain bleak, but real progress has been made. The Scottish child payment, introduced in 2021 and again backed by all Scotland’s political parties, is lifting at least 40,000 children out of poverty and reducing the depth of poverty for many more. Parents describe how the extra money has been spent on nappies and other essentials as well as helping them travel to interviews, a new job, or college – opening opportunities to increase their incomes further. Other policies are working too. Expanded free school meal provision, funded childcare, increases to school clothing grants, free bus........

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