2 April 2019

Scottish Labour’s policy of topping up Child Benefit by £5 per week would reverse Tory cuts to the payment.

Analysis released by the Resolution Foundation found that the real-terms value of Child Benefit has fallen by £210 a year since 2009-10, and is worth no more today than it was in 1999.

Scottish Labour has been campaigning for the Scottish Parliament to use its powers to deliver a £5 top up, to lift children out of poverty.

Last week, at First Minister’s Questions Nicola Sturgeon repeatedly refused to back the proposal which would deliver an extra £260 per child per year to half a million families in Scotland.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said:

“This is a significant intervention and boosts the argument to increase Child Benefit by £5 per week.

“This analysis also reveals the impact that Tory austerity has had on living standards, with Child Benefit worth £210 less today than it was in 2010.

"The Scottish Parliament has the power to not only reverse that cut, but put more money back into the pockets of families across the country.

“Scottish Labour will continue to make the case for increasing Child Benefit, which is an argument gathering support across the UK.”



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