[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f3979s73o7goq4":16},{"id":4,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":8,"slug":9,"content":10,"content_overview":11,"published_at":12,"seo_title":8,"seo_description":13,"image":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15},"01m45vtvk0pdb1y7c1cqv76edp","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","1",false,"Panic and Promises Won't End Child Poverty","panic-and-promises-wont-end-child-poverty","\u003Cp>We live in a world that seems to spin faster every day, where all the dials are turned to 11 all the time.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The headlines crash from one calamity to another as our political leaders rush to promise emergency action while their opponents demand even more urgency. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is noisy, tiring and a few hours later, when the news cycle spins to another red alert, the last one, whatever it was, is most often forgotten. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years now, child poverty in Scotland has been routinely described as a national emergency demanding emergency action. It is and it does but, with more than one in five children still growing up in poverty in Scotland today, is it time to ask if the language of emergency and crisis is helping?  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it only encourages more haste but less speed, a birling carousel of taskforces and committees, policy papers and special reports, but too little measured and impactful action? Are we even checking if the blizzard of promises and commitments is being delivered before starting the snow machine again? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if the endless planning and process is actually slowing us down? What if somehow all the talk is delaying implementation of practical, tested, and effective measures to improve the lives and secure the life chances of the 210,000 children growing up poor in one of the wealthiest countries in the world? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because we already know what works. We have known for years.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there are no magic bullets, no simple solutions to the complex social issues that have blighted our poorest communities for decades. Child poverty, like Scotland’s drugs crisis, another national emergency, is embedded in longstanding economic trends that have stripped far too many of our neighbourhoods of jobs and hope. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those trends will not be reversed overnight but, in the meantime, we should not let perfect be the enemy of good. As Challenge Poverty Week begins today, the biggest challenge is to see the wood not the trees, to recognise and appreciate what is already working and build on it. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are things that we know ease the impact of poverty on young lives; that have been trialled, tested and measured; that inch their families from peril to safety; that give them new strength, confidence and a path to a more secure future. So why not have more of them? \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are services that our charity and others are delivering every day, hand in glove with our partners in social work, health care and education. These are services delivering real, measurable success, making children safer, healthier and happier today and improving their chances tomorrow. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intensive family support, for example. The clue is in the name. It is the opposite of easy. Any family’s journey back from the very edge of crisis is one of hard yards and no shortcuts. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our teams arrive to work, shoulder to shoulder, with families on the point of collapse, with children often on the edge of care. Ensuring those babies and young people are safe is always the priority but, after that, keeping them with their families is the driving force because that, all research suggests, is the best way to stabilise childhoods and secure futures. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intensive family support means doing whatever it takes to keep children safe and families together. It can rebuild broken relationships; improve parents’ confidence in themselves; create new connections in communities; and help build firmer financial foundations with advice on welfare rights, maximising incomes and problem debt. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any investment in intensive family support and other specialist services, for pregnant women and new mums, for example, is more than returned in thriving families, stronger communities and money saved. Resource is better spent on intensive support keeping families safely together, than managing their separation through a lifetime of crisis-led state intervention.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our two Mother and Child Recovery Houses, in Falkirk and Dundee, for example, offer recovery spaces for pregnant and new mums with a history of substance use, allowing them to recover while staying safely with their babies. This helps keep families together and children at home, improves their futures and saves millions of pounds in avoided care costs. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is true child protection and the big question is not whether we can afford to roll out these services across Scotland but if we can afford not to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Justina Murray \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>Chief executive of Aberlour Children’s Charity \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This article was written for the Daily Record and published on Monday 5th October 2026.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>",null,"2026-10-05T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity CEO, Justina Murray, explains what must be done to end child poverty in Scotland. We know what works and we've known for years. ","media\u002FRS873_0E5A9135.jpg","2026-10-05T11:05:26.000000Z",{"id":17,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":18,"slug":19,"content":20,"content_overview":11,"published_at":21,"seo_title":18,"seo_description":22,"image":23,"created_at":24,"updated_at":25,"next":26,"prev":36},"01kqyyae5zzggr6vvgw6w8f1t7","Aberlour celebrates partnership with the Worshipful Company of Butchers","aberlour-celebrates-partnership-with-the-worshipful-company-of-butchers","\u003Cp>Aberlour Children’s Charity celebrated the launch of a new partnership with the Worshipful Company of Butchers which will provide the charity with £60,000 over the next three years to support children and young people across Scotland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Justina Murray, Chief Executive at Aberlour said:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>We are delighted to be chosen as the charity partner of the prestigious Worshipful Company of Butchers for the next three years. Our young people will, as a result, have wonderful opportunities to participate in a diverse range of activities including those related to the food and farming sectors. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\"Thank you so very much to everyone involved for your generous contribution, it is very much appreciated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>The donated £60,000 will support children and young people across Scotland, as well as fund various activities for young people – including unique food and farming experiences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To celebrate the new partnership, Aberlour held a burger-making workshop with four supported young people alongside Gwyn Howells, the Worshipful Company of Butchers Master. Young people were invited to prepare, cook, and serve delicious Scotch beef, lamb and venison burgers for guests at the launch event. The workshop was kindly organised and facilitated by Gordon Newlands, Brands Development Manager at Quality Meat Scotland. Thank you to Quality Meat Scotland, Highland Game and Campbells Prime Meats for supplying the food and guiding our young people through the workshop.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Regarding the partnership, Gwyn Howells said:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Liverymen of the Worshipful Company of Butchers throughout Great Britain are pleased and very proud to contribute donated funds, expertise and a great deal of enthusiasm to Aberlour to help meet the charity’s commitment in support of children and young people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>We would like to thank all supporting business who have shown interest in building better and brighter lives and futures of the children and young people across Scotland and expressed their generosity through this partnership. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you to Dunbia Highland Meats, Campbells Prime Meats, Cosmos Pizza, John Gilmour Butchers, Highland Game, Quality Meat Scotland, Dovecote Park, Husband Business Consultancy, Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers, Scottish Craft Butchers, The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) and the Incorporation of Fleshers of Glasgow.\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-05-04T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity celebrates partnership with the Worshipful Company of Butchers","media\u002FWorshipful Company of Butchers Partnership Launch Event.png","2026-05-06T15:25:51.000000Z","2026-05-06T15:26:15.000000Z",{"id":27,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":28,"slug":29,"content":30,"content_overview":11,"published_at":31,"seo_title":28,"seo_description":32,"image":33,"created_at":34,"updated_at":35},"01kqye03tkhjc1cre44x2je8wf","Analysis: How did each Scottish Political Party respond to our key calls to influence their manifestos?","analysis-how-did-each-scottish-political-party-respond-to-our-key-calls-to-influence-their-manifestos","\u003Cp>This week’s Scottish elections [Thursday 7th May 2026] will see a new, and likely, very different Scottish Parliament. The fortunes of the familiar five Parliamentary parties – SNP, Conservatives, Labour, Greens and Liberal Democrats – may vary, but they will now be joined by Reform UK. The emergence of Reform as a significant political force may even result in them becoming the second largest party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changes in party size and make up will be one feature of this Scottish Parliament, but it will also see an influx of scores of new MSPs elected across all parties. Our parliament may look much changed, but the challenges and issues faced by Scotland’s communities, households and families won’t have changed. They will be looking to our new MSPs and whoever forms the next Scottish Government to come good on their promises of change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Aberlour we have been clear about what political parties need to commit to in order to improve the lives of Scotland’s most disadvantaged and marginalised children, young people and families. Ahead of this election we shared \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fsupporting-families-ending-child-poverty-scottish-parliament-election-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our calls\u003C\u002Fa> on each of the parties to help tackle child poverty and better support families. We outlined our children and families’ priorities and what they expect from their elected representatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So how did each party do in responding to these calls? Here we have highlighted what each party’s manifesto has said in response to Aberlour’s priorities for the next Scottish Parliament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Ending child poverty\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The next Scottish Parliament must be the parliament where we prioritise ending child poverty above all else. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We called for…\u003C\u002Fstrong>an immediate increase to the Scottish Child Payment to at least £40 per week, rising to £55 by the end of the next parliament; and improvements to Scotland’s social security system strengthening support where needed, and removing barriers that leave some families behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>SNP\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will increase the Scottish Child Payment £40 per week for all babies under one; deliver multi-year funding to underpin practical help including protecting the Scottish Welfare Fund.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Conservatives\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will support the aims of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 to meet child poverty targets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Labour\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will maintain the Scottish Child Payment and increase it to £40 a week for children under one; standardise delivery of the Scottish Welfare Fund and targeted towards preventing homelessness; improve integration of local money advice services. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Greens\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will increase the Scottish Child Payment to £40, with the aim of further increasing it to at least £55 by 2030 and offer supplements to the poorest families; increase devolved social security values annually, at least in-line with rising costs; amend the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act to require the Scottish Government to meet targets for the reduction of the deepest forms of poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Liberal Democrats\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will end deep poverty and ensure Universal Credit covers life’s essentials; end the young parent penalty for under-25s by restoring the full rate of Universal Credit for all parents regardless of age; remove the benefit cap. (Each of these commitments relate to reserved UK social security policy and neither the Scottish Parliament nor Scottish Government have any powers to implement these policies).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Reform UK’s\u003C\u002Fstrong> manifesto does not mention child poverty or poverty at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Our view…\u003C\u002Fstrong>It is good to see clear cross-party support for increasing the Scottish Child Payment and improving the social security system for those families most in need. However, with the exception of the Greens, these commitments fall well short of the very minimum needed to maximise social security as a key mechanism for meeting Scotland’s child poverty targets by the end of the next Scottish Parliament. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Tackling the public debt crisis\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Public debt is felt most sharply by families on the lowest incomes and too often traps children and their families in poverty.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We called for…\u003C\u002Fstrong>legislative, policy and practice changes to the way Scotland recovers public debt aligned to existing children’s rights and human rights duties, including \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fa-proposal-for-a-public-sector-debt-recovery-scotland-bill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Public Sector Debt Bill\u003C\u002Fa> to protect the most disadvantaged and financially insecure households at risk from experiencing problem \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Fpolicy-and-influencing\u002Fpublic-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">public debt\u003C\u002Fa>. We also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Fpolicy-and-influencing\u002Fpublic-debt\u002Fschool-meal-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">called for an end to school meal debt and hidden school hunger for good\u003C\u002Fa> by expanding free school meals to all low-income families and continuing the School Meal Debt Fund.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>SNP\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will expand Free School Meal entitlement further so every child at primary school can benefit from a free, healthy, nutritious school meal, and will also wipe out school meal debt for good. (The Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Plan published in March also prioritised tackling public debt over the next Parliamentary session).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Conservatives\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will provide support to help tackle the root causes of poverty, one of which is individuals who are burdened with debt; they will also increase funding for free debt advice and support. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Labour\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will protect people with public debt, working with public sector stakeholders to implement new standards and protections so no one is pushed into poverty by public sector debt collection; they will also tackle school meal debt, maintaining write off funds and reviewing the thresholds for free school meals in secondary schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Greens \u003C\u002Fstrong>say they will wipe out Council Tax debt that pushes families further into poverty and reduce the amount of time that councils and other public bodies can chase public debts such as unpaid Council Tax; end the role of private sector debt collectors in collecting money owed to public bodies; require all public bodies, including local councils, to abide by stricter rules focused on caring for vulnerable people who are in debt to them; and make it illegal for domestic abuse survivors to be chased for public debt arising from the period when they lived with their abuser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Our view…\u003C\u002Fstrong>It is reassuring to see four of the parties make clear commitments to tackle the public debt crisis recognising the role it plays in trapping children and families across Scotland in poverty, as well as both the SNP and Labour commit to ending school meal debt for good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Supporting families who need extra help\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>All families who need extra help should have access to the support they need within their community and families experiencing the greatest disadvantage should benefit from targeted and individualised support that tackles the intersecting issues, including those which trap them in poverty. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We called for…\u003C\u002Fstrong>significant investment to create sustainable routes out of poverty through whole family support for all families across Scotland who need extra help. This should include individualised support for families which includes income maximisation, energy and debt advice, and a pathway of support toward securing and sustaining fair work. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>SNP\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they we will deliver a comprehensive offer of ‘Whole Family Support’ to tackle child poverty and provide every family with early access to the emotional, practical and financial support they need; and they will Keep the Promise to our children, young people and families by 2030.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>Scottish Conservatives\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will provide additional support to help parents return to work with a new ‘extra hours’ model of extended childcare for parents of children from age nine months; and they will support care-experienced children and young people by delivering on the remaining recommendations from the Independent Care Review.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Labour\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will create Family Network hubs, based on Sure Start principles, to connect families with the support they need to help families connect with the support they need, be it advice on money and benefits, housing, childcare, parenting and employment support; and will also establish a Parent Works Scheme, funding colleges to deliver dedicated training and employment support for parents who are unemployed or in low paid work, so they can fill local skills gaps, boost their household incomes and help lift children out of poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Greens\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will complete the delivery of The Promise to care experienced young people by 2030.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Liberal Democrats\u003C\u002Fstrong> say will develop family support hubs open to everyone but targeted towards those communities in most need, providing early and holistic emotional, practical and financial support to families; by modelling the best ways to deliver new family support hubs that are close to home and capable of building a network of relationships for families and embedding financial wellbeing checks into more settings to maximise family incomes, taking the opportunity to help people when they attend places such as their GP surgery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Our view…\u003C\u002Fstrong>we are pleased to see cross-party commitments on supporting families who need extra help, and that these are clearly linked to Keeping The Promise and tackling child poverty. However, without clear commitments on investment or further detail on how such family support will be delivered it is difficult to say how each of the parties’ proposals will provide the support for all families across Scotland who need extra help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Keeping families in recovery together\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Women-specific services – both \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fservice\u002Fintensive-perinatal-service-forth-valley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">community-based support\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fservice\u002Fmother-and-child-recovery-houses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">residential services\u003C\u002Fa> – are vital to reduce drugs harm affecting women and their children, and to tackle the drug deaths crisis. Scotland must \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fthepromise.scot\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keep The Promise\u003C\u002Fa> for women in recovery and their children by keeping families together, where it is safe to do so.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We called for…\u003C\u002Fstrong>more dedicated residential and community-based services for women in recovery and their children, as well as additional capacity in community perinatal services to be available until a child’s second birthday, and agency for individuals to choose which supports and services are best for them. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>SNP\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will treat drug and alcohol harms as a public health mission, delivering more community recovery support, as well as delivering 1000 residential rehabilitation beds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Labour\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will invest in alcohol and substance misuse recovery services, maintaining national funding to fund frontline rehabilitation services; simplify oversight of substance misuse services and ensure funding decisions are informed by voices from the frontline of rehabilitation and harm reduction services; expand residential rehabilitation, ensuring it is available to all those who wish to access these services; expand the availability of community rehabilitation programmes, with dedicated funding for peer support programmes and aftercare for individuals completing residential rehabilitation programmes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Greens\u003C\u002Fstrong> will increase funding for integrated support and treatment services for people with problematic alcohol and other drug use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Liberal Democrats\u003C\u002Fstrong> will introduce a multi-year funding model for all drugs and alcohol services, to support service providers to invest in facilities, recruit staff, build up relationships with service users, boost access to care and open up new pathways to education and employment for people in recovery; and champion Mother and Child Recovery Houses for those affected by substance abuse and new intensive community-based perinatal services.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Our view…\u003C\u002Fstrong>we are disappointed that most parties’ commitments to drug and alcohol treatment and support services do not reflect our calls on women-specific services to support families in recovery. Only the Liberal Democrats have made explicit commitments to investing in and expanding women-specific residential and community-based recovery services to keep families together, which we welcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Improving the lives of families living with a disability\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Despite the progress made through incorporation of the UNCRC, it is clear there is still much work to be done to protect, respect and champion the human rights of children, young people and families living with a disability in Scotland.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We called for…\u003C\u002Fstrong>an end to the financial insecurity faced by families living with a disability by expanding financial support, including full council tax exemptions and extending means-tested winter fuel payment to all households with a disabled child; removal of the ‘cliff edge’ drop in care and support for children and their families when a young person transitions out of children’s services; the necessary investment in community, short break and residential services to Keep The Promise for disabled children, young people and their families and enable them to thrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>SNP\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will establish a Transition to Adulthood Guarantee for all disabled young people offering them the support they need to plan and achieve their goals, and will help with heating bills by providing winter heating payments to families with disabled children and the households struggling the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Conservatives\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will invest in 1,000 additional classroom assistants to help teachers and support children with ASN; they support the redevelopment of pathways for diagnosing children with learning disabilities and what subsequent support is made available following diagnosis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Labour \u003C\u002Fstrong>say they will increase staff capacity in ASN classrooms, with 300 new pupil support assistants based in specialist ASN units or schools to support the children with the highest needs; and support transitions to adulthood, ensuring that young people with additional needs have the support they require.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Greens\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will ensure additional support needs are covered in Initial Teacher Education and in Continuous Professional Learning opportunities, equipping all teachers with the core skills required to support all of their ASN pupils; and will ensure more young people with additional support needs are provided with the support they require by revising overly restrictive criteria for Coordinated Support Plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Scottish Liberal Democrats\u003C\u002Fstrong> say they will make sure young people with additional support needs get the support they require, recruiting more expert staff, including specialist behaviour support, ASN teachers, speech and language therapists, and educational psychologists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Reform UK \u003C\u002Fstrong>say they have pledged to reform the current Additional Support for Learning system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Our view…\u003C\u002Fstrong>most parties commitments on supporting children and their families living with a disability focus on improving ASN support in schools by increasing capacity and staffing numbers. Only the SNP and Labour have made commitments to improve transitions as children move from children’s to adult services, and the SNP alone have said they will provide greater financial support for families with a disabled child by extending the Winter Fuel Payment to those families. Much more focus on supporting children and families living with a disability will be required in the next Scottish Parliament to Keep The Promise and fulfil the rights of all Scotland’s children and young people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what next? It is good to see so many of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fsupporting-families-ending-child-poverty-scottish-parliament-election-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aberlour’s calls\u003C\u002Fa> reflected across party manifestos. After the elections [Thursday 7th May 2026] our work in the new Scottish Parliament will be to build on this cross-party support and to make sure government and MSPs hold true to what they have committed to. We will continue to use our position and influence to shape legislative and policy developments to make sure we are able to secure the things that our children, young people and families tell us will make a real difference in their lives. In doing this we will continue to do all we can to protect the rights of all children and young people, to Keep The Promise and to end child poverty for good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Martin Canavan\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Head of Policy & Influencing\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-05-06T00:00:00.000000Z","Read analysis from Aberlour Children's Charity on how did each Scottish Political Party responded to our key calls to influence their manifestos.","media\u002FiStock-1007970946.jpg","2026-05-06T10:40:35.000000Z","2026-05-07T08:16:53.000000Z",{"id":37,"blog_author_id":38,"blog_category_id":39,"is_featured":7,"title":40,"slug":41,"content":42,"content_overview":11,"published_at":43,"seo_title":40,"seo_description":44,"image":45,"created_at":46,"updated_at":47},"01kqc8fr0q08p6qs9rcr06zkyh","9cdbdd25-1564-45ec-84de-602c5009ebe1","01j303dmcc6n6900v73fs88bc7","An Open Letter to all Party Leaders","an-open-letter-to-all-party-leaders","\u003Cp>It is shameful that children in Scotland are burdened with school meal debt and many are going hungry at school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour has campaigned alongside the Scottish Sun to see an end to school meal debt and hidden school hunger. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our campaign successfully influenced the Scottish Government to write off school meal debt for around 70,000 children and their families. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We welcomed the introduction of the National School Meal Debt Fund by the Scottish Government to cancel school meal debt for struggling families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alongside this we also welcomed the extension of free school meals to all primary school aged children whose families receive the Scottish Child Payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, despite the introduction of the fund, which cleared outstanding school meal debt of nearly £3 million up to March 2024, many families are already seeing their debts build up again as their circumstances remain unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Scottish Government’s own recent reporting on delivery of the National School Meal Debt Fund concluded that school meal debt is reported to be rising again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt continues to be a financial strain on low-income families across Scotland and is a symptom of many not having enough money to provide for their children. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tackling child poverty must include ending school meal debt and hidden school hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Aberlour, we see first-hand how families are turning to foodbanks because they can’t afford food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We see parents go without meals to feed their children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We see children arrive at school without having had breakfast. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is unacceptable in a country as wealthy as Scotland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Government has a legal duty to uphold children’s rights, including realising children’s right to food by making sure all children have access to healthy and nutritious food, whether this is at home or at school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With never-ending cost-of-living pressures squeezing families’ budgets – which will only get worse due to ongoing political and economic crises - many are wondering how they will survive. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thousands of struggling families still do not qualify for free school meals, leaving children to either go hungry or accumulate debt when they receive a school meal their families cannot afford. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some, this debt reaches hundreds of pounds per child, adding to the already overwhelming financial burden so many families are facing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite previous efforts to tackle this issue, what is clear is we need to prevent school meal debt from occurring in the first place. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We cannot accept living in a country where families are unable to feed their children and children regularly go hungry at school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is why, ahead of the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections, we are calling on all party leaders to end school meal debt and hidden school hunger for good by:\u003Cbr>•    Continuing the National School Meal Debt Fund until it is no longer needed\u003Cbr>•    Increasing free school meal eligibility to all low-income families receiving the Scottish Child Payment. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Signed Aberlour and The Scottish Sun\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Published in The Scottish Sun on 29 April 2026\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-04-29T00:00:00.000000Z","It is shameful that children in Scotland are burdened with school meal debt and many are going hungry at school.","media\u002FEmma image compressed.jpg","2026-04-29T09:17:56.000000Z","2026-04-29T09:19:41.000000Z"]