Boost child payment in line with inflation, campaigners tell ministers

The Scottish Government has been urged to ensure the Scottish Child Payment rises at least at the rate of inflation next year.

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) praised the benefit, which is due to be expanded next month to £25 a week and cover families with children under the age of 16.

But the group stressed the need to ensure the benefit rises along with inflation – which currently sits around 10% – calling for an uprate in April.

“The Scottish child payment is already helping thousands of families just when they need support most,” said CPAG director John Dickie.

“Its increase to £25 a week and rollout to all eligible under-16s next month really can’t come soon enough.

“It’s now vital that the £25 payment holds its real terms value in the face of rising costs.

“We urge ministers to commit to at least an above inflation increase in April next year.”

Social security minister Ben Macpherson said the Scottish Government had a “legal duty to publish a report each year that sets out the impact of inflation on social security benefits and our plans for the next financial year”, which would be done in “due course”.

He said: “Recently, in April, we doubled the Scottish child payment to £20 per week per eligible child and this will further increase to £25 per week from November – a rise of 150% in less than eight months providing important additional support for low-income families which is only available in Scotland.

“In March we also uprated eight other Scottish benefits by 6%, which was significantly higher than the 3.1% CPI by which most UK Government benefits were increased.”