SCOTLAND’S government confirmed today that the Scottish child payment will be doubled from early next year following a sustained campaign from charities and opposition parties. 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said at the SNP conference that next week’s budget will include a £10 increase of the weekly benefit given to the poorest families, starting in April.

Ms Sturgeon credited the government’s co-operation agreement with the Scottish Greens for “achieving this as quickly as possible,” having initially guaranteed the increase by 2026. 

More than 100 charities, faith groups and trade unions wrote to Finance Secretary Kate Forbes earlier this month urging her to use the upcoming draft budget to double the payment.

Polling conducted by Survation for the End Child Poverty coalition in Scotland found that once “don’t knows” were excluded, 68 per cent of people support doubling the payment, a £10-per-week-per-child benefit.

Coalition members had earlier said that many families are facing a really difficult winter and that next month’s draft budget was a “golden opportunity.”

Peter Kelly, director of Poverty Alliance, said: “In Scotland, people believe in protecting one another and in doing the right thing. As this new polling makes clear, they overwhelmingly support taking action now to stem the rising tide of child poverty.”

Opposition MSPs have now said ministers must go further following the announcement, calling for the payment to be doubled again next year. 

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “The doubling of the Scottish child payment is a very welcome development and the credit for it must go to all the campaigners who have held the SNP to account and forced them into action.”