One in four Scottish children living in poverty
Photo by Luke Pennystan, Unsplash
250,000 children are living in poverty as leading charity warns of crisis after seeing a 92% surge in demand for financial advice.
Children 1st has launched a new appeal for donations today.
Their new spring appeal comes after the Scottish Government reported new figures showing no improvement in the number of children across the country living in poverty.
Figures released for the whole of the UK show that 4.3 million children (30%) of children live in low-income households, meaning they live in a household that generates an income of less than 60% of the median average for families of the same size across the UK.
Children 1st offers these families access to support workers and a financial well-being team that can assist with budgeting, checking benefits and applications for charitable grants and debt management services.
The cost-of-living crisis continues to have a devastating impact on Scottish families, with many struggling to afford basic necessities.
The charity reported that its debt management workload has doubled over the past year, with over 1,500 children needing help since April 2023, almost a 92% increase compared with April 2022 figures.
Since April 2023, the charity has already generated an additional £1.7 million through unclaimed benefits grants and budgeting to put directly into the hands of struggling families.
They are currently managing £813,000 of debt on behalf of families and are urging the public to donate so they can continue supporting.
A Scottish mum, Joanna, felt the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, but the charity helped her when she needed it most.
She described the support as “life-changing” after receiving an emergency fund and working with advisors to create a plan for the future.
Joanna said she and her children struggled to eat and couldn’t pay her bills.
Joanna said: “The support from Children’s First has been life-changing, and I can now afford regular shopping and we can now have a healthy diet.
“I can even afford to buy things like socks, boxers, and trainers for my son Max and his brother.
“It feels like we’ve won the lottery!”
It’s apparent that, more than ever, there is an acute need for services that provide professional and trusted advice for families.
Mary Glasgow, chief executive of Children 1st, said: “Children are in crisis.
“The lasting impact on their safety, health and opportunities could be devastating.
“We want to be able to help every child whose family turns to us for support, but we urgently need the public’s support to be able to respond to the continued crisis.”
To donate to the Children 1st crisis appeal, visit: www.children1st.org.uk/crisis
