Help For Families Of Infants - Cash-first Approach To Help With Infant Food Insecurity

25th April 2024

A toolkit for people working with families with infants at risk of food insecurity is promoting cash first responses to allow them to safely, responsively and appropriately feed their babies and helping towards reducing the need for food banks.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Public Health Minister Jenni Minto will visit Cranhill Development Trust's Baby and Toddler group in Glasgow to see the help on offer to families with infants who may be facing financial pressure.

They will meet with local families attending the group to hear about the impact of cross-Government support for families in the cost of living crisis.

Shirley-Anne Somerville said, "All children have the right to the best possible health and an adequate standard of living, which includes appropriate nutrition to meet their developmental needs. These resources are aimed at ensuring that no baby in Scotland is left without the food they need to grow and thrive.

"We continue to allocate around £3 billion each year to a range of actions which help to tackle poverty and mitigate the impacts of the cost of living crisis on households.

“We will do all we can to reduce child poverty while mitigating UK Government austerity - but we could go much further if policies made at Westminster were not actively working against us."

The Cranhill Development Trust's baby group provides support to local families from a wide range of backgrounds including asylum seekers and families at risk of food insecurity.

Modelling estimates that Scottish Government policies will keep 100,000 children out of relative poverty in 2024-25, with relative poverty levels 10% points lower than they would have otherwise been.

In 2024-25 the Scottish Government is committing a record £6.3bn for benefits expenditure - £1.1bn more than the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for social security. The increase in benefits expenditure is the single biggest increase in the 2024-25 budget, over £1bn more compared to the 2023-24 budget.

Collectively, the Scottish Government’s five family payments, including the Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods and three Best Start Grants could now be worth over £10,000 by the time an eligible child turns six and around £25,000 by the time an eligible child turns 16, providing financial support to families which is unparalleled across the UK.