The SNP has issued a stark warning as millions of children across the UK face the crushing weight of poverty.
They accuse the Labour government of a shameful failure to act, following a spending review that campaigners say offers no relief for struggling families.
Child poverty charities have condemned the Chancellor’s decision to maintain punishing welfare policies, including the two child benefit cap, the bedroom tax and planned cuts to disability benefits.
SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Kirsty Blackman MP said Labour’s refusal to act was disgraceful.
She warned that thousands more children are being dragged into poverty by political choices that prioritise austerity over compassion.
Blackman’s intervention follows new analysis published by the House of Commons Library, which lays bare the scale of the crisis.
The research reveals that nearly two million families could escape poverty if the UK government adopted the policies already in place in Scotland.
By scrapping the two child benefit cap and bedroom tax, and by matching Scotland’s £27.15 weekly increase to Universal Credit for each child, 1.84 million families could be lifted out of hardship.
Meanwhile, the Trussell Trust has sounded the alarm over the devastating impact of proposed cuts to disability benefits.
Their research suggests that nearly half a million disabled people will be forced to rely on food banks if the cuts proceed.
Even the UK government’s own assessment admits that a quarter of a million people, including 50,000 children, will be pushed into poverty as a direct result.
The child poverty crisis has been worsening for over a decade.
In 2013, 3.7 million children were living in poverty.
Today that figure stands at 4.5 million.
Without urgent intervention, forecasts show child poverty will rise to a record 4.6 million by the end of the decade.
The Child Poverty Action Group has condemned the government’s failure to act, describing the two child limit as the biggest driver of rising child poverty.
They estimate that 109 children are pulled into poverty every single day because of this cap.
The charity urged the Chancellor to scrap the policy in the Autumn budget and finally deliver meaningful change.
The Trussell Trust has also called on the government to rethink, warning that 440,000 disabled people face severe hardship if the cuts are not reversed.
Disability Rights UK added their voice, calling for the abandonment of benefit cuts, increased taxation on the wealthiest, and full funding for public services.
End Child Poverty warned that the government’s refusal to lift the two child limit and benefit cap means it cannot make any serious progress in tackling poverty.
Save the Children echoed this, saying every child deserves a fair start and that the caps must be scrapped to give young people a genuine chance to succeed.
The SNP is urging the Labour government to change course and follow Scotland’s lead, putting the needs of children and families at the heart of policy.
In her letter, SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Kirsty Blackman MP writes:
“Dear Chancellor,
“Ahead of the UK spending review, the SNP and child poverty charities challenged the Labour government to finally take long-overdue action to tackle the soaring levels of child poverty in the UK, which are getting even worse as a result of Labour Party austerity cuts.
“I was therefore deeply disappointed that the Labour Party has, once again, failed to take any meaningful action to tackle child poverty and is, instead, continuing to impose devastating cuts that will push thousands more children into poverty over the coming weeks and months.
“Millions of children will be trapped in poverty because of the Labour Party’s shameful failure to take any meaningful action at the UK spending review – and its appalling decision to plough ahead with more austerity cuts to disabled families will push even more children into destitution.
“New research this week revealed the Labour government is keeping around 2 million families in poverty by failing to match SNP action across the UK.
“If the Labour Party treated child poverty with same urgency and importance as the SNP government, it would lift 1.84million families out of poverty by abolishing the two child benefit cap and bedroom tax – and, crucially, by matching the SNP’s Scottish Child Payment UK-wide by raising the child element of Universal Credit by £27.15 per child, per week.
“Instead you have delayed your child poverty strategy and pushed ahead with deeper austerity cuts – demonstrating tackling child poverty is clearly not a priority for this Labour government.
“It is a disgrace that the Labour government is failing to act on child poverty, with thousands more children dragged into poverty over the past year as a result of your political choice to impose punitive welfare cuts – including the Labour Party’s two child benefit cap, bedroom tax and forthcoming cuts to disability benefits.
“Children in poverty cannot afford to wait even longer for the Labour government to finally act. They need help now. I urge you to come back to Parliament and announce an emergency package of action on child poverty before the summer recess – including matching the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide, scrapping your planned cuts to disability benefits, and finally abolishing the two child limit, benefit cap and bedroom tax without further delay.
“Every day that the Labour government fails to act, over 100 more children are dragged into poverty as a result of your punitive welfare policies. The time for excuses is over.
“Yours for Scotland,
“Kirsty Blackman MP
SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson”
