Give Kids In Poverty An Extra £10 Now

Campaigners call to double child payment in this year's budget

- Paul Hutcheon

CAMPAIGNERS have called on the public to pile pressure on the SNP Government to double a £10-a-week payment for low-income families.

The Poverty Alliance wants Finance Secretary Kate Forbes to increase the Scottish Child Payment (SCP) in next month's budget.

The SCP has initially been rolled out to younger children as the first step to payments for eligible families with kids under 16.

Scottish Ministers are also committed to doubling the SCP by the end of the Parliament. But with about 26 per cent of children in Scotland living in poverty, the alliance believes the £20-a-week needs to be introduced immediately.