Blog: We can beat child poverty, but we have no time to waste

This week’s Scottish Budget couldn’t come at a more pivotal time.

After more than a decade of rising child poverty, 2025 finally saw a slight reduction in the number of children growing up in poverty in Scotland.
Scotland is the only part of the UK where this is true. 

It is important to acknowledge and welcome the political choices that have been made here to make that happen.

However, more than one in five children are still in living in poverty. 

That is unacceptable in a country as wealthy as ours.

More targeted and urgent action is essential in Scotland if we are to meet our legally-binding child poverty targets by 2030. 

These are statutory targets the Scottish Government must meet by prioritising policy decisions and action to significantly reduce levels of child poverty in Scotland.

A clear sign that so much more needs to be done is the ongoing, active demand for Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund. 

Our fund provides small, emergency cash grants to families to help with essentials. 

Over the past five years, the Fund has distributed £2.8 million in grants. 

Whilst it would be lovely to think this is being used for some treats and luxuries for hard-pressed families, the reality is that the most common requests are for food, children’s clothing, bedding and help with the cost of heating and lighting – the absolute basics. 

Grants have been paid to families living in every single one of Scotland’s local authority areas.

This shows family poverty reaches across urban, rural and island communities, not just the big cities. 

Many who apply for this crisis cash support are in work, again illustrating that it is fair work which will make the difference, not just any work. 

With nearly a quarter of a million children in Scotland growing up in poverty it’s clear that this is an emergency sabotaging the health, education and futures of thousands of young people.

Polling conducted last month by NFP Research has shown that the majority of Scots back increasing financial support and debt relief for families on the lowest incomes.

More than 60% of Scots would like to see the Scottish Government increase support for the poorest families. 

While nearly 7 in 10 agreed families’ low income is damaging children’s education and ability to participate in school activities.

When asked 80% also support expanding free school meals to reach more children with 71% urging the Scottish Government to clear all school meal debt.

The people of Scotland recognise the damage that poverty does to the lives of children and families.

The Scottish Government must listen to what Scotland’s children and families are telling them about what will make the biggest difference in their lives.

At Aberlour, our children, young people and families are clear that they want our politicians to do more to end poverty. 

They tell us there should be more financial support for families, as cost of living pressures bite ever harder.

They tell us there should be more practical help and support for families in their communities.

They tell us that they feel there should be much more that they can get from their education to set them up for the future.

This week our families want the First Minister to show he is listening, and that he is true to his word that ending child poverty is his Government’s number one priority.

The gap between good intentions and impactful change, between policy and practice, must be closed to lift families out of poverty and, most importantly, keep them out.

It requires accelerating efforts to tackle child poverty through building on what we know works and where investment can make the biggest difference for families.

This means using the Budget to set out clear and concrete plans to lift families out of poverty for good.

This includes practical action to help and support families living with a disability, single parent families and young parents, amongst others.

Social security has a crucial role to play, and putting more money in families’ pockets through increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 this year is key.

Parents also need help into fair work, including accessible childcare and employability support for those furthest from the labour market.

Affordable and suitable housing for families is crucial to address the housing emergency that contributes to and exacerbates child poverty.

And tackling the public debt crisis facing low income families will help prevent unsustainable debt that too often traps families in poverty in a never-ending cycle.

With the Scottish Parliament elections now imminent, we need to see all our politicians (who say they are committed to ending child poverty) pull in the same direction.

Scotland’s children can’t wait any longer.

We have no time to waste.

Justina Murray

Aberlour CEO

This article was written for the Scottish Sun and published on Tuesday 13th January 2026.