CIH Scotland responds to government’s Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026–2031

CIH Scotland has welcomed the Scottish government’s recognition of housing as a key factor in tackling child poverty in its newly published Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026–2031, which sets out the actions intended to help meet targets of the Child Poverty Act (2017).

The plan includes additional funding for discretionary housing payments (DHPs) to help address Local Housing Allowance (LHA) shortfalls and continued investment in Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs), both of which aim to reduce housing costs and prevent homelessness for families on low incomes.

Responding to the publication of the strategy, Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at CIH Scotland – who gave evidence at Parliament in January this year in support of additional discretionary housing payments – said: “We welcome the recognition of the role of housing in tackling child poverty set out in the Scottish government’s latest delivery plan. Housing costs are one of the biggest factors in poverty, and providing good quality affordable housing ensures that children have the best start in life and a chance to thrive.  

“CIH has long called for more to be done to meet the shortfall in local housing allowance (LHA) caused by repeated UK government benefit freezes which is making the private rented sector unaffordable and pushing thousands of households into poverty and homelessness. Providing an additional £9 million in discretionary housing payments for LHA shortfalls will certainly go some way to help, but in the long term we urge the UK government to commit to providing social security at a level that covers the real cost of renting, providing certainty and security for low-income households.

“We also welcome the Scottish government’s continued commitment to rapid rehousing transition plans (RRTPs) and the further £8 million for 2026/27 which was first announced in the Housing Emergency Action Plan. If we are to tackle homelessness in Scotland, we need continued commitment to transform the homelessness system and we need to see RRTP funding guaranteed beyond just the next financial year.”