Hurting the Young

TENS of thousands of children in Glasgow are financial losers following the Chancellor’s cuts to tax credits new figures reveal.

The cuts announced in his post election Budget will hit 26,000 families in the city with more than 46,000 children living in households whose income will fall. Before the budget the Evening Times revealed that almost 80,000 kids were at risk of cuts as the total number whose parents received tax credits.

The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has produced analysis which shows how many will be facing a drop in income. It shows that 60% of children in the city whose household relies on tax credits will be subjected to a drop in income accounting for more than 13% of all Scots kids impacted.

Glasgow Pollok constituency has the highest number of children who will be affected with 8300 losing out. It is one of four Glasgow areas in the top ten of Scotland’s 73 constituencies all with more than 6000 affected. Provan with 6200, Southside with 6100 and Maryhill and Springburn at 6000 are also on the list. All but one of the city’s eight constituencies has more than 5000 children impacted, according to the figures. Only Kelvin, with 2500 is lower. Anniesland has 5800, Cathcart 5500 and Shettleston 5100 children whose parents will see their tax credits cut.

Across Scotland almost 350,000 children in almost 200,000 families are affected of the more than half a million whose household income depends on tax credits.