Children in Ayrshire among those worst hit by poverty

Only Glasgow, with 32 per cent of children living in relative poverty, has a higher proportion than North Ayrshire at 29 per cent. The Scottish average is 22 per cent.

East Ayrshire, fifth worst in the rankings with a figure of 27.3 per cent, and South Ayrshire - 11th with 24.4 per cent - also face a challenge to reduce those numbers by the target date of 2030.

In a new report titled ‘Investing in the Future: Tackling Child Poverty’ Ayrshire and Arran Health Board will hear that, by the end of 2021/22, 18,262 children were living in relative poverty across the three Ayrshire authorities.

And the area's three councils and NHS Ayrshire and Arran have been warned that these levels could reach 38 per cent, after housing costs, if action isn’t taken to tackle the problem.

The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 sets out four targets to be met by April 2030 aimed at bringing the levels of absolute, relative and persistent poverty down of between 5 to 10 per cent.

The report explained that the impact of poverty has implications across council and NHS services and required them services to work to tackle it.

It continued: “The Scottish Government allocated almost £3 billion to help households mitigate the impacts of the cost of living crisis, including support for childcare, health, travel, energy, social security payments.

“In November 2022 the Scottish Child Payment increased from £20/week to £25/week per eligible child.

“There are concerns that the current cost of living crisis, which includes increase to fuel costs, following on from the COVID-19 pandemic, will have undermined progress nationally and locally to reduce child poverty

“While the cost of living crisis will affect everyone, those on lower incomes are most at risk of being more negatively affected.

“The impact of poverty is well documented and experiencing poverty can have multiple and lasting ill effects on outcomes and opportunities across the life course.

“Poverty should be viewed as a threat to children’s health and wellbeing which has the potential to impact their adult outcomes and which health services and local authorities have a duty to protect children from.”

The complicated nature of the various definitions of poverty also indicate that there are usually multiple factors and that action is required ‘across many fronts’.

NHSAAA says it is working with the three councils in the development of local child poverty action plans for each area.

There are significant disparities within each of the three authorities' communities.

In North Ayrshire, the highest estimated proportion of relative poverty at the end of 2020 was Irvine West at 33.5 per cent. At the other end of the scale, North Coast and Cumbraes had just under 15 per cent.

Just two areas, North Coast and Cumbraes and West Kilbride, had a rate of less than 20 per cent.

In East Ayrshire, Kilmarnock South had 32 per cent of children living in relative poverty, compared with around 14 per cent in Annick.

Like North Ayrshire, just two areas, Annick and Crosshouse, had less than 20 per cent in relative poverty.

In South Ayrshire the biggest disparity was found in areas which sit next to one another.

Ayr North had 29.9 per cent of children living in relative poverty, compared to Ayr West at slightly more than 10 per cent.

Unlike its neighbours, a majority of South Ayrshire’s wards had relative child poverty rates of less than 20 per cent - those being Ayr West; Prestwick; Kyle; Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton; and Troon.

Despite that, the figure for South Ayrshire remains higher than the Scottish average.

The report continues: “The child poverty work brings together colleagues from a range of disciplines and departments, as well as linking with wider community wealth building, employability and staff financial wellbeing work.”

“There is a need for specific focus and action to prevent greater numbers of children experiencing poverty and help mitigate the impacts for those experiencing poverty.”