THE Scottish government must invest more in social security to meet its target of slashing child poverty by the end of the decade, according to a leading think tank.

The warning came in a new IPPR Scotland report, launched just days before the Scottish government is expected to publish data revealing whether or not it has reached its interim target to reduce child poverty from 24 per cent last year to 18 per cent.

First Minister John Swinney has repeatedly stated that eradicating child poverty was his “key mission” in office, with his government aiming to cut rates to 10 per cent by 2030.

A key plank of that strategy has been the Scottish Child Payment (SCP), paid at £26.70 per week for children whose parents receive other supports such as universal credit and child tax credits. 

The think tank calculates that, should it rise with inflation, the payment will be worth £30.30, a level they contend will be well short of that required to meet the anti-poverty target. 

“Even with heroic assumptions on increased parental earnings, the child poverty target will be missed; it is clear that additional resources will need to be targeted directly to families if the target is to be hit,” the report said.

“We have explored this by modelling the impact of doubling the Scottish Child Payment (SCP).

“Our baseline assumption is that the value of the SCP tracks inflation to reach £30.30 per child in 2030, so in our doubled-value scenario we model it at £60.60.”

The cost of such a boost would amount to £500 million over the next five years.

IPPR Scotland research fellow and report author Dave Hawkey said: “Scotland is at a crossroads and must decide whether it is willing to take the necessary steps to eradicate child poverty – there is surely only one option.”

SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We know there is more to do and our efforts are being undermined by the social security policies of the UK government and policies like the two-child limit which is increasing poverty and hardship for many families.

“That is why in the coming financial year we will develop the systems necessary to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child cap in 2026, which will lift thousands of children in Scotland out of poverty.”