Renfrewshire Council

In March 2022, the Scottish Government published its second child poverty delivery plan, Best Start Bright Futures under the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.

Best Start, Bright Futures sets out a vision for Scotland, the changes that are needed to achieve this, and the actions Scottish Government intend to take with partners to deliver that change for the period 2022 to 2026.

The refreshed Scottish Government child poverty delivery plan 'Best Start, Bright Futures' focusses on three key themes and this, Renfrewshire's report is set out in a way that reflects those themes:

• providing the opportunities and integrated support parents need to enter, sustain and progress in work
• maximising the support available for families to live dignified lives and meet their basic needs
• supporting the next generation to thrive.

Child poverty targets were set by the Scottish Parliament in 2017 and are as follows:

By 2030, after housing costs, less than:

• 10% of children live in households that are in relative poverty
• 5% of children live in households that are in absolute poverty
• 5% of children live in households that are in combined low income and material deprivation
• 5% of children live in households that are in persistent poverty
• The statutory income targets are ambitious and relate to the following measures of poverty:

Relative poverty: a child is in relative poverty if they live in a household where equivalised income for the financial year in question is less than 60 per cent of the median equivalised net income for that financial year.

Absolute poverty: a child is in absolute poverty if they live in a household with an income below 60 per cent of the median equivalised net income in 2010/11.

Combined low income and material deprivation: a child is in combined low income and material deprivation if they live in a household with an income below 70 per cent of the equivalised median net income for that year and are unable to afford a number of basic goods and services (material deprivation).

Persistent poverty: a child is in persistent poverty if they have been living in Scotland and in relative poverty for three of the past four years.