ALMOST two million families across Britain could escape poverty if the Labour government matched Scottish government policies and pledges, the SNP has claimed.

Independent analysis conducted by the House of Commons Library for the SNP, found that raising the child element of universal credit to that of the Scottish child payment — £27.15 per child-per-week — on its own could lift 732,000 families out of poverty throughout Britain, 38,000 of them in Scotland.

Matching the Scottish government’s mitigation of the bedroom tax, and its pledge to scrap the two-child cap by April 2026 would take a further 609,000 families above the poverty line — the combined effect of all policies taking the tally up to 1.83 million.

The figures come as Chancellor Rachel Reeves puts the finishing touches to next week’s Spending Review, amid warnings that child poverty — which already rocketed from 3.7m 4.5m between 2013/14 and 2023/24 — could soar to a record one in three or 4.6m by 2029-30.

Ms Reeves had already dismissed calls for the bedroom tax to be ditched, while seven Labour MPs were suspended almost a year ago for voting to scrap the two-child cap.

SNP work and pensions spokeswoman Kirsty Blackman MP called for a change of direction, including on disability cuts proposals which government assessments warn could plunge 250,000 people — 50,000 of them children — into poverty.

She said: “The evidence shows Keir Starmer’s Labour government is keeping almost two million families in poverty by failing to match SNP action across the UK.

“It’s shameful that UK child poverty is rising to record levels under the Labour government, which has pushed thousands more children into deprivation by imposing punitive welfare cuts.

“With 4.5m children living in poverty in the UK, only bold and immediate action will do. Scotland is the only part of the UK where child poverty is falling.

“Westminster must match this action — or it will leave millions more children languishing in poverty.”

Citing actions such as increasing national minimum wage, expansion of breakfast clubs, and introducing a fair repayment rate on universal credit deductions, a UK government spokesperson insisted they were “determined to bring down child poverty,” adding: “We will also publish an ambitious child poverty strategy later this year.”