Cumbernauld and Kilsyth child poverty rate at 22 per cent

Figures from the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland show that after housing costs are taken into account 22.22 per cent of local families are struggling financially, with Kilsyth the worst off area at 29.13 per cent. The council wards of Cumbernauld South and Abronhill, Kildrum and the Village also exceed the constituency average at over 26 per cent.

Local MP Stuart McDonald commented: “It is absolutely clear that Tory cuts to social security are the key cause of worsening child poverty. In fact, one analysis suggests that even just the cuts to child tax credits and the new ‘two child’ policy will cause more than quarter of a million children to fall into poverty by 2020. Another quarter of a million kids who are already living in poverty will be even worse off. It is telling that the Tory government has scrapped their child poverty targets, unit and commission.

“In contrast, the Scottish Government is spending hundreds of millions of pounds in mitigating the worst Tory social security cuts; it has introduced a Child Poverty Bill to Parliament to put in place our own ambitious targets; and it has made Scotland the part of the UK with the biggest share of workers earning above the living wage.

“But if we are to prevent the worsening of child poverty and make progress as quickly as possible towards our goals - then we need to force a complete change in direction”.