Benefits revamp could end child poverty

from The Scotsman

By Lindsay McIntosh

THE complicated benefit and tax credit system needs to be overhauled in order to eradicate child poverty in Scotland, an influential group of MPs claimed yesterday.

About 250,000 Scots children live in poverty and parents are failing to take up the benefits to which they are entitled, according to a new report by the scottish affairs committee.

The committee says deprivation across all generations must be tackled in order to break the cycle.

And it warns that while employment is key to solving the problem, the government should not underestimate the important caring role of parents who stay at home, and try to force them into employment.

The committee has said it is concerned that Scotland may not meet its target to slash child poverty rates by 50 per cent by 2010 unless urg
ent action is taken.

About 30,000 Scots youngsters are currently living in severe poverty.

Mohammed Sarwar, the chairman of the committee, stressed: "The cycle of deprivation must be broken if we want to reduce child poverty.

"While we are pleased that some progress has been made in the last ten years, much more must be done. There are 250,000 children still living in poverty in Scotland today and action is urgently needed."

The report was welcomed by campaigning groups at the launch yesterday, many of which had given evidence to the committee.

John Dickie, of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said there had been significant investment in eradication of poverty in recent years, but he called for a swing away from the tax credit system, to child benefit.

Meanwhile, Peter Kelly, the director of the Poverty Alliance, said he thought the report was "very useful".