John Swinney says more progress needed on child poverty

29 September 2025

First Minister John Swinney has said Scotland is making progress on reducing child poverty but warned the pace of improvement is not fast enough.  

Speaking in Glasgow last week, he noted that child poverty levels are now lower than they were three decades ago and contrasted Scotland’s trajectory with the rest of the UK, where he said rates are rising. He described the effort to eradicate child poverty as a “truly national mission” and pointed to the Scottish Child Payment as central to the government’s approach.  

The payment, now worth £27.15 a week per eligible child under 16, was introduced in 2021 and has since been expanded. Official figures show that by the end of December 2024, families of more than 326,000 children were receiving support, with over £1bn paid out in total. Ministers argue this policy is one of the most significant factors in preventing larger rises in poverty during a period of high living costs.  

While welcoming the direction of travel, Swinney accepted that the statutory targets set under the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act remain a challenge. The legislation required relative child poverty, measured after housing cost, to fall below 10% by 2030. Current rates remain well above that threshold.  

Anti-poverty campaigners have broadly praised the Scottish Child Payment but have raised questions whether it is sufficient on its own.  

The First Minister admitted that the number of children living in poverty is "not falling enough" and said, "We still have more to do." 

He believes that supporting the whole family is key to solving the problem. While there are many good examples of this happening in Scotland, he said it’s still not common enough across the country. 

To help tackle the issue, he announced that the Fairer Futures Partnerships (FFP) programme will be expanded. 

These partnerships bring together services like childcare, education, healthcare, social care, and housing support. There are currently eight FFPs, and they will now be introduced in five more areas: Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, South Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire, and West Lothian. 

Mr Swinney said: "With £4 million in funding this year, we're working closely with local councils, communities, and charities through the Fairer Futures Partnerships to make a real and lasting difference."