Targets relating to child poverty
12030 targets
1
The Scottish Ministers must ensure that the 2030 targets are met in the financial year beginning with 1 April 2030.
2
The 2030 targets are that, of children living in households in Scotland—
a
less than 10% fall within section 3 (relative poverty),
b
less than 5% fall within section 4 (absolute poverty),
c
less than 5% fall within section 5 (combined low income and material deprivation),
d
less than 5% fall within section 6 (persistent poverty).
2Interim targets
1
The Scottish Ministers must ensure that the interim targets are met in the financial year beginning with 1 April 2023.
2
The interim targets are that, of children living in households in Scotland—
a
less than 18% fall within section 3 (relative poverty),
b
less than 14% fall within section 4 (absolute poverty),
c
less than 8% fall within section 5 (combined low income and material deprivation),
d
less than 8% fall within section 6 (persistent poverty).
3Relative poverty
A child falls within this section in a financial year if the child lives in a household whose equivalised net income for the year is less than 60% of median equivalised net household income for the year.
4Absolute poverty
1
A child falls within this section in a financial year if the child lives in a household whose equivalised net income for the year is less than 60% of the amount of median equivalised net household income for the financial year beginning with 1 April 2010, adjusted to take account of changes in the value of money since that financial year.
2
The Scottish Ministers may by regulations substitute a different date for the date mentioned for the time being in subsection (1).
3
Regulations under subsection (2) are subject to the affirmative procedure.
5Combined low income and material deprivation
A child falls within this section in a financial year if the child—
a
lives in a household whose equivalised net income for the year is less than 70% of median equivalised net household income for the year, and
b
experiences material deprivation in the year.
6Persistent poverty
1
A child falls within this section in a financial year if the child has lived—
a
in each of the survey years, in a household in Scotland, and
b
in at least 3 of the survey years, in a household whose equivalised net income for the survey year was less than 60% of median equivalised net household income for the survey year.
2
The survey years are—
a
the calendar year that ends during the financial year, and
b
the 3 previous calendar years.
7Calculation of net household income
1
For the purposes of this Act, the deductions to be made in calculating net household income include housing costs.
2
In this Act—
“equivalised”, in relation to household income, means adjusted to take account of variations in household size and composition,
“median equivalised net household income” means the median equivalised net household income for the United Kingdom.