A CONCERNED Borders councillor has labelled a 30 per cent child poverty rate in his ward as “disgraceful”.
Members of Scottish Borders Council recently endorsed a child poverty action plan for 2024/25.
The direct drivers of poverty fall into three main categories – income from employment, costs of living and income from social security.
The percentage of children within the Borders in low income families (before housing costs) has risen from 19.5 per cent in 2021/22 to 19.7 per cent in 2022/23.
While the figure is below the average for Scotland (21.3 per cent), it is still concerning that one in five of children are living this way.
A report to full council also includes a geographical breakdown which demonstrates the divide between individual wards when it comes to levels of child poverty.
The percentages of children in low income families ranges from 11 per cent in Tweeddale East up to 30.1 per cent in Hawick & Denholm.
The new plan supports help with fuel debt, to provide childcare so parents can attend training, offer families help on travel options, in addition to quality benefits advice delivered locally.
Independent councillor Stuart Marshall, who represents Hawick & Denholm, receives regular pleas for help from constituents living in poverty.
He said: “I know of mums and dads who are sleeping on the living room floor so that the bairns can get the beds.
“These are issues that come my way very regularly and today’s figures of having 30.1 per cent of youngsters in my ward in such poverty is in this day and age nothing short of disgraceful.
“Child poverty has many guises and it can and it does wreak havoc in family life, it causes huge problems with youngsters' health, those affected often miss out on proper nutrition. School life should be an equal playing field but not having any money leaves kids feeling left out and those youngsters often fall behind and the consequence of that means that in later life they don’t achieve the grades and get the jobs they require.
“Too many families and children in my ward are facing the cruel realities of poverty.”
Figures for the other wards are Tweeddale West (13.9); Leaderdale & Melrose (14.5); Mid Berwickshire (16.9); Kelso & District (19.4); Hawick & Hermitage (19.8); Jedburgh & District (21.4); East Berwickshire (22.4); Galashiels & District (22.9); and Selkirkshire (23.2).
The report states: “In 2023, the median gross weekly pay for full-time workers working in the Scottish Borders (workplace based) was £652, which is £51 less than the £703 for full-time workers working elsewhere in Scotland.”
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