Aberlour intensifies campaign to tackle public debt crisis to reduce child poverty

As Scottish Labour delegates gather this weekend for their annual conference, Aberlour, Scotland’s largest children’s charity currently commemorating its 150th anniversary, is intensifying its campaign for urgent public debt reform in Scotland.

 Aberlour has been outspoken about the debt crisis facing families in Scotland and the UK, stressing the need for urgent and radical action.  The charity is clear that public debt, such as council tax, rent arrears and even school meal debt, is a key factor in entrenching and increasing child poverty across the country.

 With one year to go before the Scottish elections, Aberlour is calling on all Scottish political parties to make sure that public debt reform is a central plank of their manifestos going into next May’s election.

 This weekend, Aberlour will tell Labour delegates that they should support fundamental reform of how Scotland’s public bodies recover debt owed by some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged families. The charity argues that current debt recovery practices punish rather than support those in need and must be changed.

 Aberlour will outline its key policy demands at a fringe event on Friday evening, where contributions from Monica Lennon MSP and Mike Dailly from Govan Law Centre will set out how legislation could be used to turn the tide against problematic public debt.

 Aberlour Chief Executive, SallyAnn Kelly OBE, said:

 As we mark 150 years of supporting children and families at Aberlour, it is deeply troubling that in 2025, many children in Scotland are facing the same challenges to get by and survive, too often trapped in poverty, as children in 1875 did.

 Scotland is in the grip of a debt and child poverty crisis. As the country prepares for another election, we will not stop reminding politicians that if Scotland is serious about ending child poverty, it must address both the root causes of debt and how public debt is recovered.

 At this week’s Scottish Labour conference, we will be relentless in rallying support for our campaign. No politician should accept the appalling numbers of children in poverty today.

 We will make clear that tackling child poverty must be a priority at both UK and Scottish levels, and that reforming public debt policies is a critical step toward achieving that goal.

ENDS

 Key Demands

• Implement new legislation and regulations to make debt recovery processes fairer for families.
• ​Implement a comprehensive debt amnesty programme for low-income families, prioritising debts owed to public bodies such as council tax, housing arrears, and school meal debt.
• Immediately increase eligibility for free school meals to prevent school meal debt and support more families and increase eligibility for council tax exemptions to all those in receipt of benefits
• Provide more support to help disadvantaged families pay off their debts.
• Develop a centralised debt collection system in Scotland.
• Prevent debt by putting more money in families’ pockets through increasing the value of the Scottish Child Payment to £40
• Invest in programs that address the root causes of poverty.