Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
According to the latest official poverty statistics from the Scottish Government, more than 260,000 children currently live in households below the poverty line.
The figures show that levels have been relatively stable in Scotland.
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The latest statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions showed that 4.3 million children across the UK, which is 30% of all UK children, are in poverty – up from 3.6 million in 2010-11.
Figures produced by Loughborough University for the Coalition to End Child Poverty estimated that 54% of Scotland’s 57 Westminster constituencies have at least 25% children in poverty.
Speaking at a special election for children organized by the charity, Ms Kelly said: “It’s hard to think of a more important issue than the lives and future of our children.
“Child poverty is a national crisis but the parties to seriously engage with the issues during this campaign have been disappointing and frustrating.
“Living in poverty is not a choice for children but our politicians can choose to take effective urgent action to improve their lives.
“It’s about priorities and the lives and futures of some of Scotland’s most vulnerable children should be everyone’s priority.”
Aberlour, which supports vulnerable children and their families, has called for “many measures to alleviate the poverty crisis.”
This includes scrapping money owed by children for school meals, amnesty for some debts owed by low-income families, and more effective support for unaccompanied asylum seekers.
Crucially, the charity also wants to see the two-child cap lifted.
The policy introduced by George Osborne means that households claiming child tax credit or inclusive credit cannot claim for a third or subsequent child.
However, there is an exception for families where a third child is the result of “non-consensual conception.”
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While Labour’s manifesto included a promise of an “ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty” there was no mention of the two-child limit.
Sir Keir Starmer has previously said he cannot make “unfunded commitments, unfunded promises.”
Asked about Ms Kelly’s criticism as he campaigned in West Lothian on Friday, Sir Keir told The Herald: “We have a plan for child poverty. And it’s a very strong plan and a very important plan because as you would I expect it, it is a central objective of the new Labor Government to drive down child poverty.
“I don’t want to see child poverty anywhere.
“And so we already have plans in place if we are elected to government to deal with the root causes, whether that’s housing, whether that’s secure jobs, the new deal for working people , which will ensure that people are protected and paid better here in Scotland. in their jobs but throughout the country, making sure that those in accommodation are properly protected.
“So there’s a lot of things we can start working on straight away to deal with child poverty because I understand why it’s so important that we reduce it.
“We did it when we were last in government and we will do it again. ”
The SNP’s Social Justice spokesman, and Glasgow East Candidate, David Linden hit out at Sir Keir.
He said: “Labour’s own manifesto figures claim they have room for £2.5 billion – exactly the amount needed to get rid of the Tories’ two-child cap and yet they still stubbornly refuse to commit to him.
“The sad truth is that Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor Party is making a political choice to keep children in poverty.
“Experts have repeatedly said that the two-child limit is a key driver of child poverty in the UK, and the associated rape clause makes women relive traumatic experiences. If their own numbers are to be believed, then they have no excuse not to get rid of these extremely harmful policies.
“In stark contrast to the cuts agenda of the Tories and Labour, the SNP, the Scottish Government, the limited powers it has, even in the face of austerity, Brexit, and the cost of living crisis, to put money back into people’s pockets and keep 100,000 children out of poverty with Scotland’s Child Payment.
“It says that rather than repeating the Scottish Government’s policies, Labor instead wants to copy and paste Tory policies.”
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Liberal Democrat MP Willie Rennie said: “With so many Scottish children in poverty, charities like Aberlour are right to press Keir Starmer and others for more action.
“The Liberal Democrats have set out a clear plan for tackling poverty by removing the two-child limit and the benefit cap, ensuring that all families can access childcare that flexible and affordable and restores the full rate of Universal Credit to all parents regardless of age. ”
The Scottish Conservatives’ shadow social justice secretary, Miles Briggs, said:
“One child living in poverty is one too many. Despite all their warm words, child poverty levels remain stubbornly high on the SNP’s watch.
“Their broken promises to eliminate the attainment gap in our schools as well as their drastic cuts to council housing and social housing budgets have all contributed to those high rates.
“We would tackle child poverty by providing free breakfasts and lunches to primary school pupils, while continuing to urge the SNP to give our cash-strapped councils a fair funding deal to support day-to-day essential services.”
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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