Publications

CAS is generally concerned about the restriction on families to only being able to claim Child Tax Credits or Universal Credit for two children. Advice on Child Tax Credits is one of the most common issues that clients seek advice on, with 13,363 new issues during the year, an increase of 14% compared with the previous 12 months. A CAB client profile survey in November 2016 showed that 9.3% of clients (1 in every 11) who were given advice on an issue related to Child Tax Credits were from a large family, with three or more dependent children.

Citizens Advice Scotland agrees that the Scottish Government should
include in statute an ambition to eradicate child poverty. It is equally important
however that this ambition is backed up by clear strategies with specific,
measurable and deliverable actions that are directly linked to reducing the
levels of child poverty in Scotland.

Childcare in Scotland has moved up the political agenda in recent years with the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 extending the amount of free early education available for three and four year olds as well as looked-after two year olds, those in kinship care and those from workless households, from 475 to 600 hours per year.

In response to Members' Debate in the Scottish Parliament on 16 December 2010.

All across Scotland, thousands of people care for children, because their natural parents are unable to do so. These are often grandparents, aunts and uncles but can also be family friends. People who look after children in these kinds of circumstances are often known as 'kinship carers'.

This research is looks at the experiences of a sample of 368 kinship carers who called the Kinship Care Helpline or visited a bureau for advice between January and December 2009.

Briefing sheet exploring the issues faced by people looking after children that are not their own. 

A briefing for the westminster debate on child poverty in Scotland, written in response to the inquiry by the Scottish Affairs Committee