Scottish Child Payment 'must be raised to £40 a week to help tackle poverty'

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"Urgent action" is required from the SNP Government to tackle child poverty in Scotland, a leading charity has warned. ‌

Action for Children today called for Shona Robison , the Finance Secretary, to use extra revenues allocated to Holyrood as a result of the recent UK Budget to increase the Scottish Child Payment (SCP) to £40 a week. ‌

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, finally announced last month the hated two-child cap on benefits will be scrapped UK-wide in April next year. It means the SNP Government will no longer have to pay to mitigate the impact of the policy north of the border. ‌

The SCP benefit, which is means-tested, is only paid in Scotland and is viewed by campaigners as a key tool in reducing child poverty.

Fiona Steel, the charity's Scotland director