Governments in Edinburgh and London need to take real action as the cost of living crisis is exacerbating poverty for families across the country.

Yesterday the Glasgow Times reported how the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found one in five UK families are unable to heat and feed themselves properly.

Campaigners and politicians have called on both the UK and Scottish Government to use their powers to intervene.

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Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland said benefits need to be increased by both Holyrood and Westminster.

John Dickie, Director of CPAG Scotland, said: “It would be morally outrageous if the UK government failed to uprate benefits in line with inflation given this stark evidence of the acute financial pressures families are under.

“Cupboards across the country are bare, debts are mounting and family wellbeing is deteriorating.

“Here in Scotland Holyrood Ministers need to continue to do the right thing and provide more support by doubling bridging payments for school-aged children, as well as making sure that the soon-to-be £25 a week Scottish child payment holds its real terms value next year.”

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Meanwhile, Glasgow MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy, Scottish Labour Social Justice and Social Security, called for action not words from the government.

She said: “The JRF have set out the heartbreaking reality of what this cost of living crisis means for people across Scotland.

 “The UK has been abandoned by a callous Tory government, which has taken a wrecking ball to the economy and chose to fund tax cuts for the rich instead of helping people who need it.

 “The SNP rightly demand more from the Tories, but this report makes clear that, whist they have taken some action, there is still much more they should and must do. It’s time they stopped focussing on what they can’t do and started doing what they can.

 “This Challenge Poverty Week we need more than words from politicians – to turn the tide we need both our governments to rise to the challenge and act on their moral and economic duty to tackle this crisis.”

Glasgow Times:

Shona Robison, Scottish Government social justice secretary, said: “Tackling child poverty is a national mission and we are doing everything we can within our limited powers and fixed budget to support those who need it.

“We have allocated almost £3 billion in this financial year to contribute towards mitigating the cost of living crisis and almost a third of this support is only available in Scotland.

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“Yet at the same time as we focus on providing direct financial support to people on the lowest incomes, UK Government policy undermines this. For example, if welfare reforms introduced since 2015 were reversed, this would put £780 million into the pockets of Scottish households and lift 30,000 children out of poverty in 2023-24.”