Bringing Hope, Building Futures: Tackling child poverty delivery plan 2026-2031 – annex 1: Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 requirements
This annex to Bringing Hope, Building Futures: the third tackling child poverty delivery plan 2026 to 2031 explains how we have met the requirements of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.
Part C – Estimating resources allocated
Table 1 below sets out best estimates of the financial resources allocated in 2026-27 in support of actions committed within the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-31. The table also details if policies are new, continuing, or have been strengthened. Of the 63 actions contained within this Delivery Plan, 31 are continuing actions, 6 strengthen existing actions and 26 are new actions.
Table 2 sets out best estimates of the multi-year financial resources allocated, where these are specified in the delivery plan.
Estimates of spend targeted to tackle child poverty will be produced within annual progress reports, informed by actual spend during the relevant financial year. Annex 6 (Impact of Policies on Child Poverty) sets out the anticipated impact of actions.
Figures in both tables should be treated in each case as the upper level of investment. Provisional levels of investment are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million. Where no estimates of spend is provided this is because there is no specific Scottish Government funding allocated to delivery of this commitment. Estimates of investment relating to social security are based on the Scottish Fiscal Commission January 2026 forecasts.
| Action | Status | RESOURCE (£m) |
|---|---|---|
| Parental employability support | Continuation | 90.0[1] |
| Colleges RISE | New | 9.0 |
| Training Access Fund | New | 2.0 |
| Parental employment opportunities in NHS Scotland | New | 4.2 |
| 1140 hours of funded ELC | Continuation | 1,027.2 |
| ELC for eligible two-year olds | Continuation | -[2] |
| Real Living Wage for childcare workers | Continuation | 13.4[3] |
| School Age Childcare Programme | Continuation | 16.2 |
| National Breakfast Club offer | New | 15.0 |
| Childcare Support | New | 15.0 |
| Increase wrap-around activity clubs | New | 2.5 |
| Work with UK Government to improve the take-up of help with childcare costs that they offer | Continuation | - |
| Concessionary travel | Continuation | 465.8 |
| Transport to Employment offer | New | 19.0 |
| Fair Work First | Continuation | - |
| Real living wage and hours accreditation | Continuation | 0.3 |
| Flexible Workforce Development Fund | New | 10.0 |
| Discretionary Housing Payments | Continuation | 106.3 |
| Mitigate Local Housing Allowance Freeze | New | 9.0 |
| Affordable Housing Supply Programme | Strengthened | 925.9[4] |
| Awaab’s Law | New | - |
| Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan | Continuation | 8.0 |
| Learn from homelessness prevention pilots | Continuation | - |
| Strengthen support for women experiencing domestic abuse | New | - |
| Fund to Leave | Continuation | 2.0 |
| Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based Schemes | Continuation | 154.0[5] |
| Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund | Continuation | 1.0 |
| Fuel Poverty Strategy | Continuation | - |
| Council Tax debt project | Continuation | 2.2 |
| Council Tax data sharing | New | - |
| Five Family Payments | Continuation | 524.0 |
| Scottish Welfare Fund | Continuation | 41.0 |
| Scottish Child Payment Premium | New | - |
| Care Leaver Payment | New | 3.8 |
| Parental Employability and Financial Support campaign | New | 0.8 |
| Benefit take up strategy | Strengthened | 0.05 |
| Explore data sharing options to support income maximisation | Continuation | - |
| Explore options for a Social Security Scotland client referral pathway | New | - |
| Social Security Scotland data sharing prototype | New | - |
| Welfare, income maximisation and debt advice | Continuation | 11.9 |
| Advice in Accessible Settings Fund | Continuation | 2.0 |
| Maximise take-up of child maintenance support | New | 0.3 |
| Review embedding advice in education and health settings | New | 0.2 |
| Advice services workforce development | New | - |
| Strengthen role of health services in early years | Continuation | - |
| Family Nurse Partnership Expansion | New | 1.1 |
| Marketing – new parents | New | 0.5 |
| Bookbug expansion | Strengthened | 0.25 |
| Scottish Attainment Challenge | Continuation | 200.0 |
| Free School Meals (existing offer) | Continuation | 209.8 |
| School Clothing Grant | Continuation | 14.6 |
| MCR Pathways expansion | Strengthened | 1.0 |
| Free School Meals expansion (Pension Credit/AET) | Strengthened | 3.0 |
| Fairer Futures Partnerships | Continuation | 6.0 |
| Whole Family Wellbeing Funding Programme | Continuation | 50.0 |
| Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults | Continuation | 15.0 |
| Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund | Continuation | 1.0 |
| Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund | New | 20.0 |
| Whole Family Support Programme | New | - |
| Whole Family Support in General Practice expansion | Strengthened | 2.2 |
| Expand data sharing with UK Government | Continuation | - |
| Implementation of data sharing | New | 3.0 |
| ‘Once for Scotland’ data exchange programme | New | 2.0 |
| Total | 4,011.5 | |
| Action |
2027-28 (£m) |
2028-29 (£m) |
|---|---|---|
| Parental employability support | 90.0 | 90.0 |
| National Breakfast Club offer | 44.0 | 44.0 |
| Affordable Housing Supply Programme[6] | 953.3 | 1,036.2 |
| Council Tax debt project | 1.0 | - |
| Welfare, income maximisation and debt advice | 12.3 | - |
| Advice in Accessible Settings Fund | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Bookbug expansion | 0.25 | - |
| MCR Pathways expansion | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Fairer Futures Partnerships | 6.3 | 7.0 |
| Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund | 0.8 | - |
| Total | 1,110.95 | 1,180.2 |
Contact
Email: TCPU@gov.scot