The number of children growing up in poverty in working households in Scotland has soared by 52 per cent since 2010, according to new figures.
Research undertaken for the Trades Union Congress (TUC) estimated that there will be 185,000 children with working parents below the official breadline this year, an increase of 63,000 compared to eight years ago.
The TUC said that 38,000 of that total were the direct result of in-work benefit cuts and public sector pay restrictions.
Other reasons cited for the 63,000 rise include weak wage growth, the spread of insecure work, population growth, and an increase in working families.
Scotland is currently the only part of the UK which has introduced statutory targets to cut child poverty after the introduction of the Scottish Government's Child Poverty Bill in 2017.
However campaigners said the figures highlight that Scotland was not immune to the challenges faced by ongoing welfare cuts taking place across the UK.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon announces legislation aimed at eradicating child poverty in Scotland
The figures comes alongside estimates that the total number of children growing up in poverty in working households in the UK overall is set to be a million higher this year than in 2010.
It estimated that 3.1 million children with working parents will be below the official breadline this year, with around 600,000 of these "pushed" into poverty because of the Government's benefit cuts and public sector pay restrictions.
Children with at least one working parent will account for two-thirds of UK children living in poverty in 2018, the TUC also said.
The UK Government said that it did not recognise the figures produced by the trade union body.
The report – which was carried out for the TUC by Landman Economics – said that the East Midlands will have the biggest increase in child poverty among working families, followed by the West Midlands and Northern Ireland.
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Child poverty in working households has shot up since 2010.
"Years of falling incomes and benefit cuts have had a terrible human cost. Millions of parents are struggling to feed and clothe their kids.
"The Government is in denial about how many working families just can't make ends meet.
"We need ministers to boost the minimum wage now, and use the social security system to make sure no child grows up in a family struggling to get by."
The report said a household was considered to be in relative poverty if its income is less than 60% of median income after housing costs.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said the analysis revealed the "long-term damage of UK welfare cuts on children and families, strengthening the case for the UK Government to urgently and drastically change course."
She added: "If they won’t, they must deliver the necessary powers and financial levers to Scotland so we can do things differently.
READ MORE: MSPs pass 'historic' legislation aimed at cutting child poverty
Peter Kelly, director of The Poverty Alliance, said that the figures highlighted that Scotland was not immune to the challenges of social security cuts and restrictions taking place across the UK.
He said that though the Scottish Government's strategy was helping to mitigate the effects in Scotland, more needed to be done across the UK to tackle the widespread issue.
A spokeswoman from the Child Poverty Action Group also welcomed the TUC figures, saying "with the right policies - ending the benefit freeze, uprating child benefit and supporting working parents, we can end child poverty."
A UK Government spokeswoman said: "We do not recognise the TUC's figures. "
"The reality is there are now one million fewer people living in absolute poverty compared with 2010, including 300,000 fewer children.
"We want every child to get the very best chances in life. We know the best route out of poverty is through work, which is why it's really encouraging that both the employment rate and household incomes have never been higher."
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