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Child poverty in Scotland
Poverty is the most significant human rights issue facing children and young people in Scotland.
It affects all aspects of children’s lives, negatively impacting their health, education, family, relationships and aspirations.
Such effects often have negative consequences in adult life, reducing life chances for those who experience poverty in childhood.
260,000 children, over a quarter of children in Scotland – lived in poverty before the Covid-19 pandemic. We do not have the data for after this period, but expectations are that the figure has risen.
A decade-long increase in child poverty coupled with a cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing impact of Covid-19 threatens to push even more children into dire life circumstances.
What does the UNCRC say?
Children have the right to have their family supported and to benefit from social security.
They have a right to an adequate standard of living, including nutritious food and a safe warm home.
They have rights to the highest attainable standard of health, to extra support if they are a young carer, or disabled, or care experienced – groups we know who are disproportionately impacted by poverty.
They have the right to survive, grow, and develop and governments must do everything they can to prevent the deaths of children and young people.
The state has an obligation to use available resources to the maximum extent possible to fulfil children’s rights – and it is failing.
We have repeatedly reminded the Scottish Government that under the UNCRC, governments have clear obligations:
Article 3 of the UNCRC says that children’s best interests must be a primary consideration in all actions that affect them. This includes taking decisions around welfare and support that significantly impact families.
Article 6 of the UNCRC says that governments must ensure the survival and development of a child to the maximum possible extent, which often doesn’t happen for children in poverty.
Article 12 of the UNCRC says that children and young people’s views should be meaningfully considered on matters that affect them. However, this doesn’t tend to happen when policies are made that impact child poverty.
Article 24 of the UNCRC says that children and young people have the right to the best health possible. This includes the right to adequate and nutritious food, which can be affected when children and young people experience food insecurity.
Article 26 of the UNCRC says that children and young people’s human right to social security should be fully realised.
Article 27 of the UNCRC says that every child has the right to a standard of living that allows them to develop physically, mentally, spiritually and socially. Poverty can mean children have a standard of living below this threshold.
Our position and recent work
Child poverty is the most significant human rights issue we face. It has been an office priority for many years, and continues to be so. We are clear that child poverty is a result of active decisions made by governments.
Children have told us that they feel poverty robs them of their childhood. They have told us that: “The most unfair thing is the government knows families are going through hard times, but they decide not to do anything about it.”
As a society, we cannot accept children going hungry, being cold and unable to learn and function daily as a part of our society. There are steps the Scottish Government can take to challenge poverty.
In June 2025, we published a paper compiling the experiences of children in poverty in Scotland. It was
originally prepared for the UK Government Child Poverty Taskforce to help inform
their considerations. It has also been shared with the Scottish Government to inform
the development of the next Child Poverty Delivery Plan.
We have called on the Scottish Government to:
- Urged Scottish Government to reverse decision to delay roll out of free school meals to all primary children.
- Incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law. This came into force on the 16th July 2024.
- Increase the Scottish child payment to £30 a week.
- Acknowledge UNICEF’s warning about the UK’s inadequate efforts and to take urgent action to address child poverty immediately.
- Provide universal free school meal provision to both primary and secondary school pupils.
- Double Scottish Child Bridging Payments.
- Develop long-term solutions to prevent poverty rather than just focus on short-term solutions to manage it.
- Take a rights-based approach to The Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-2026, ensuring children who experience poverty have their views heard and that the plan delivers what is needed.
- Address the concerning lack of access to youth work services which are vital lines of support for those with experience of poverty.
- Oppose plans to cut the £20 uplift in Universal Credit.
Our office has called on the UK Government to:
- End the discriminatory two-child benefit cap, which contributes to child poverty and violates children’s rights.
- Acknowledge UNICEF’s warning about the UK’s inadequate efforts and to take urgent action to address child poverty immediately.
- Strengthen protections against energy disconnection by challenging Ofgem’s decision to allow force-fitting of pre-payment meters, and advocate for better safeguards for vulnerable families.
- Increase the income of families in poverty, reform the social security system and target intervention.
- Safeguard children’s human rights immediately, threatened as a result of the ‘mini budget’.
We have also challenged regulators by writing to Ofgem to question its decision to raise the energy price cap without properly considering the impact on children in Scotland.
Our office also facilitated young people’s contributions to the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s report on child poverty. This was the first time children’s views had been included in this way. The report sets out the Commission’s comments on the Scottish Government’s progress towards meeting the child poverty targets.
Latest news and stories on poverty
Children’s Commissioner slams Scottish Government’s ‘broken promise to children’ on free school meals
Speaking ahead of the parliamentary debate tabled for tomorrow (Wednesday 11/09) the Children and Young People’s Commissioner, Nicola Killean urged the Scottish Government to reverse its decision to only expand
Statement: Commissioner responds to UK Government decision not to abolish two-child benefit cap
We are very disappointed that the UK Government has not committed to end the discriminatory two-child benefit cap, which is a clear violation of children’s rights.
Children’s Commissioner warns energy regulator: “Your actions can help struggling families or push them further into poverty”
Children’s Commissioner Nicola Killean has urged Ofgem to reconsider its decision to once again allow pre-payment meters to be forcibly fitted in homes – telling its Chief Executive that Ofgem “can choose to either mitigate or contribute to poverty.”
Statement: Ofgem must do more to protect children’s rights from impact of forced pre-payment meters and energy disconnection
Ofgem has given the green light for three companies to resume forcing pre-payment meters into homes. Nicola Killean, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, expressed disappointment, highlighting the risks to vulnerable families, including those with disabled children reliant on medical equipment. Despite updated guidance from Ofgem, our office has argued it falls short in safeguarding children from energy disconnection consequences. With many children already in poverty, we urge Ofgem to enhance the guidance for broader protection.
Statement: Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland Children’s Commissioners react to UNICEF report on poverty
Children’s Commissioners from Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales urge UK and devolved governments to do more to tackle child poverty after a new UNICEF report highlighted how little progress has been made.
Statement: Auditor General for Scotland and Accounts Commission briefing report
This report is a warning to the Scottish Government that to tackle child poverty it needs to focus on long-term prevention, not just on short-term solutions.
UK Government’s mini-budget fails to immediately help children and families in poverty
The Children’s Commissioners for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respond to today’s UK Government mini-budget. “Today in the UK, 3.9 million children are living in poverty. “This winter many of
Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner challenges Ofgem on price rise that’s forcing more families into poverty
Bruce Adamson writes to Ofgem chief executive about worrying impact of energy price cap increase on children.
Statement: Commissioner signs joint letter demanding Scottish Government doubles child bridging payments
Commissioner Bruce Adamson, alongside a broad range of organisations, community groups, academics, trade unions and faith groups, has written to the Scottish Government, requesting that child bridging payments are doubled. This vital action is urgently needed to mitigate the damaging impact the cost of living crisis is having on children’s standards of living.
Statement: Commissioner calls on Scottish Government to prioritise rolling out universal free schools meals.
Universal school meals are one of the ways in which the Scottish Government can fulfil children’s right to food by providing a nutritious meal to all children. There are many barriers to families taking up the offer of the free school meal provision, and one of the greatest can be the stigma attached to claiming for this entitlement. Free school meals for everyone in primary school reduces that stigma and helps reinforce the understanding of food as a human right, not an act of charity.
Our publications
As part of our work in defending children’s rights and in holding those in power to account, our office has produced a number of publications ranging from consultation responses, submissions to the UN, letters to Ministers and expert research.
Please browse below to view some of our latest publications on poverty. You can also explore our Resources section to view the many publications our office has produced over the years.
A rights-based approach is necessary to urgently address the impact of high energy prices
PE1926 – Expand universal school meals for all nursery, primary and secondary school pupils
Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-2026
Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
Our submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights ahead of his visit to Scotland.
Poverty, educational attainment and achievement in Scotland: a critical review of the literature
Consultation response: A child poverty bill for Scotland
Former Commissioner Tam Baillie responds to the Scottish Government’s consultation around its ambitions to eradicate child poverty.
Children’s Commissioners for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales: Letter to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
MSP briefing: Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill (Stage 1)
MSP briefing: Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill (Stage 1). Growing up in poverty is one of the biggest barriers to children being able to realise their rights.
MSP briefing: Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill (Stage 3)
MSP briefing: Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill (Stage 3). In Scotland, more than a quarter of children currently live in poverty.