CONCERNS have been raised for the mental health of Scots children as a new study found one in four Scots parents say their kids have come to them with concerns about family finances over the past six months in the midst of the cost of living crisis.

Over the same timeframe, over one in five (22%) of parents have said their children have been getting more stressed and anxious, as well as getting upset more.

And over half (58%) of parents think the pandemic alone has negatively affected their child's overall well being.

The study for by Opinium Research which polled 1000 Scottish parents in April gives a "shocking" insight into the minds of children and their parents dealing with the post-Covid fall out and the cost of living crisis, according to Save The Children Scotland.

It has called on the Scottish Government to increase the Scottish Child Payment to at least £40 to get money into the pockets of families who need it most.

Scottish Child Payment was extended to include all eligible children until their 16th birthday and increased to £25 per child per week in November last year.

Figures show that 303,000 children were receiving the payment at the end of March.

The total amount of the benefit paid out since its February 2021 launch now stands at £248.6 million.

"The importance of investing in boosting family incomes is clear, both to help children have a good standard of living but also to help with their development," said Claire Telfer, the Scottish head of the charity.

“We must prioritise and protect the mental health and wellbeing of children in Scotland and give children and young people the best opportunity to thrive.”

The analysis found a quarter (24%) of parents say their children have come to them with concerns about their finances or the current cost of living in over previous six months. One in three (28%) say their child’s physically health have become more prone to colds and bugs, along with 21% saying their diet and nutrition is not as good as it used to be.

The Herald: Claire Telfer, Head of Scotland, Save the Children

Some four in five of parents themselves (82%) are worried about their current financial situation, with seven in ten (71%) reporting that money worries have negatively affected their mental wellbeing in the past six months.

The most common consequence of these negative feelings toward their financial situation is that parents have been feeling more stressed or panicked than usual (51%). This symptom is particularly prevalent among women, with 56% reporting this problem compared to 35% of men.

It comes as there is growing concern about the possibility of ministers missing legal deprivation targets as it emerged that up to one in three children in Scotland are living in poverty.

Analysis has revealed that before the full roll out of the Scottish Child Payment, levels of child poverty were at their highest in Glasgow (32%), North Ayrshire (29%), Clackmannanshire (28.3%) and West Dunbartonshire (27.6%) and the lowest in East Renfrewshire (14.4%), East Dunbartonshire (14.9%), Shetland (15.4%) and Aberdeenshire (16%).

Across Scotland an average of 24% of Scotland’s children were in poverty - amounting to 250,000.

That remains well above the levels set out in the Child Poverty Act 2017, which sets mandatory targets of reducing child poverty to 18% by next year and 10 per cent by 2030.

Campaigners say that urgent action is still needed at every level of government to ensure that Scotland’s legal child poverty reduction targets are met despite the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment in February, 2021.

Scottish Government analysis suggests the payment will lift 50,000 out of poverty - providing a five percentage point reduction in the child poverty levels in 2023/24. That on its own, would not hit the 18% target.

Campaigners say there are uncertainties around hitting the 2023/24 target and they say that measures in place would mean they were coming "nowhere near" the 2030 mark.

They urge UK Government to scrap the two-child benefit limit imposed by the UK Government but that Scottish ministers should “do the right thing” and mitigate this “unfair and indiscriminate” policy.

Ms Telfer said: “The data we’ve gathered from this survey confirms children pay the price of poverty and for some, the scars can last a lifetime. It’s shocking to learn that over a quarter of parents surveyed highlighted that their child has come to them with concerns about their finances or questions about the cost-of-living crisis in the last six months. Just under a quarter said that in the same period, their children have been more stressed, anxious, and upset.

“The simple fact is, no child should be worrying about money. Parents do what they can to shelter children from worry and concern, but the cost-of-living crisis is creating a tidal wave of financial hardship that is getting harder and harder for families to protect themselves from.

“If solutions are not implemented urgently which match the scale of the crisis, the impact on children will continue, and potentially last into adulthood."

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Social Justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Government has repeatedly asked the UK Government to do more to support those most impacted by increasing inflation, interest rates and living costs. The Deputy First Minister made this point again to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury after this week’s further interest rate rise.

“Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is one of three critical missions for this government.  This year and last we have allocated almost £3 billion to support policies to tackle poverty and the ongoing cost of living crisis. We have continually urged the UK Government to also take urgent action and match our ambitions to tackle poverty.

“We have a range of actions in our Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan and our five family payments could be worth around £10,000 by the time an eligible child turns six years old compared to less than £2,000 for families in England and Wales. This includes the Scottish Child Payment which 303,000 children are now benefitting from and which is projected to lift 50,000 children out of poverty this year. In addition, we're making £84 million available to protect people from the damaging impact of UK Government welfare cuts including the bedroom tax and benefit cap, and have taken action on rent.

“We are taking action within limited powers and fixed budget but it is only with the powers of an independent nation that we can use all the levers other governments have to tackle poverty and inequalities.”