FAMILIES in Clydebank eligible for a new social benefit will soon receive an extra £10 per week for every child under the age of 16.

Clydebank’s MSP Gil Paterson has praised Wednesday's announcement of the new benefit, Scottish Child Payment, that will come into place before the end of 2022.

It is designed to lift children across Scotland out of poverty, and there is no cap on the number of children in eligible families.

Low income families with children under the age of six will be fast tracked and start to receive the benefit in early 2021.

Mr Paterson said: “This is a radical and very welcome announcement from the Scottish Government in the face of ongoing welfare cuts from the UK Tory government.

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“It is a disgrace, that in a place as wealthy as the UK, child poverty exists at the level it does.

“The ambition of this SNP Government is to tackle poverty and give our young people from low income backgrounds the very best start in life.

“But the sad reality is, this SNP Government is fighting poverty with one hand tied behind its back – without Westminster imposed austerity we could do so much more for children who are growing up the hard way.

“I know the new Scottish Child Payment will be a welcome boost to many young families in Clydebank when it’s fully rolled out over the coming years.”

The announcement means that eligible families with two children under 16 will receive an additional £1,000 a year to spend on day to day essentials from clothing to school equipment, there is no cap on the number of children in eligible families.

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John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said: "This new payment is an absolute game changer in the fight to end child poverty - £10 a week for each child will make a real difference to families struggling to put food on the table, heat their homes and pay for the ordinary school trips, sport and other activities that are fundamental to a decent childhood.”

Once fully rolled out, the payment will benefit up to 410,000 children across Scotland - not only supporting those in poverty but also preventing those on the breadline from sliding under.