Tackling child poverty priority families overview

The cost of living crisis and priority families

What is helping families?

Fast direct financial assistance (for example, Discretionary Housing Payments or Scottish Child Payment) and indirect support (for example, through the rent freeze and rent cap).

What barriers prevent families form obtaining support?

Three main barriers:

• stigma due to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, shame or perceived judgement
• support that targets those on specific means-tested benefits can exclude many low income families
• there is huge variation in need and demand. Flat rate payments do not account for nuances of household size or other characteristics

Where do families need more support?

Equitable opportunities for financial support across Scotland.

Accessible information. The cost of living website has been hugely welcome. Further consideration of digital exclusion and limited digital skills is needed.

Embedding national strategies through flexible localised approaches.

Planning ahead and providing reassurance on the level of support that will be there.

What have we learned so far?

The fundamental ongoing challenges are exacerbated during a period of financial crisis. There is a heightened need to develop wider system change. (e.g. through childcare, digital access, employment, social security).

Multiple policy measures. In the short term, social security and benefits in-kind can alleviate crisis. But in the longer term a combination of policies across the three drivers of poverty are needed to achieve long lasting impact.