ALMOST a quarter of children in Inverclyde are living in poverty according to a new study by a university.

A local charity chief says he is not surprised by the bleak rate of 24.4 per cent, and that the problem in Inverclyde is as bad as it was a decade ago.

Pat Burke, of Children in Poverty Inverclyde, says things haven't improved since the charity was set up 10 years ago.

The latest statistics show that almost 3,500 children are affected.

Mr Burke said: "This was the figure in Inverclyde 10 years ago, it's not improved despite the best efforts of the council implementing things like free uniforms and free school meals.

"People don't seem to be getting out of the rut.

"Poverty alienates these people terribly, excluding them from the normal things that you and me take for granted.

"These people are the silent majority.

"We see the effects of poverty, assuming there is no employment, people don't have income - that in itself demeans people."

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The data shows that Inverclyde sits slightly above the national average, with one in four children going without.

The statistics cover the period up to 2021/22 and are based on research by Loughborough University and published by the East End Poverty Coalition.

Mr Burke's charity helps 500 people a year, including taking 50 families away on holidays every year, as well as supplying clothes to Auchmountain Hub, Bluebird and Hillend nurseries.

Pat feels the team is inspiring people in the community to rally round to help others.

Pat said: "I believe our charity, with more exposure in the Greenock Telegraph, has encouraged people to get together to help people in the community. The number of groups that have sprouted up in the last 10 years has been incredible."

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, says the council is doing all it can to improve children's lives.

He told the Telegraph: "Levels of child poverty across Scotland and the rest of the UK are totally unacceptable and I fully support the call from the End Child Poverty coalition for urgent action by all levels of government to address this crisis.

"While the level of child poverty in Inverclyde is also far too high, it may surprise some that it is in line with the Scottish average, when typically for poverty indicators we would be near to the top of the league table.

"I believe that reflects the good work we are doing in Inverclyde to support families with children.

"Our benefits teams, working with our partners in the third sector, are exceptionally good at helping families maximise the benefits they are entitled to.

"We are also good at maximising the uptake of direct financial support we provide such as free school meals, clothing grants and holiday hunger payments.

"Through our investment in early learning and child care, schools and employability programmes we are also supporting families to lift themselves out of poverty in the longer term.

"There is so much more we could do however if we didn’t have to deal with ongoing funding cuts from the Scottish Government and mitigating the consequences of the UK Tory Government’s welfare cuts.”

SNP MSP Stuart McMillan said the figures made 'stark reading' and is backing the campaign to scrap the two-child benefit limit.

He said: "They are a cruel reminder that the Tory cost of living scandal is impacting the wellbeing of children in Inverclyde and across Scotland, and why politicians must all work together to alleviate child poverty.

“I support campaigners calls for the UK Government to scrap the two-child benefit limit – and until then, the Scottish Government is committed to mitigating this unfair and indiscriminate policy.

“Ronnie Cowan MP and I recently wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice about food insecurity and child poverty in Inverclyde after the Trussell Trust foodbank network released their end of year stats for 2022-23.

“The reply from the Cabinet Secretary states that Scottish Government analysis published last year showed that reversing key UK Government welfare reforms that have occurred since 2015 would bring an estimated 70,000 people out of poverty in Scotland, including 30,000 children, in 2023-24.

“This emphasises how much poorer our lives are under a Tory UK Government.

“Despite this, the Scottish Government is using its powers to try to limit this damage – in January 2023, the SNP government invested nearly £1.8 million in additional food insecurity responses, with an emphasis on cash-first."