All seven Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church are among a group of faith leaders from across the UK who have written to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor asking them to “seize this moment to take decisive action to drive down child poverty.”

The letter, which was sent to Downing Street today, Sunday 31 August, calls for an abolition of the two child cap on social security. Recognising the economic pressure the government faces the letter goes on to make costed recommendations that increasing levies on gambling profits could be sufficient to raise half a million children out of poverty across the UK.

Commenting the Rt Rev David Railton, Bishop of Argyll & The Isles, said: “The Scottish Episcopal Church has long called for action to tackle child poverty. In congregations across Scotland Episcopalians are doing exceptional work: running food and clothing banks, holiday breakfast clubs, and offering warm and safe spaces to all who are in need. Nationally we offer grant funding to projects which address increasing poverty amongst families.

“These efforts, like those of many organisations who work to alleviate poverty, are made more difficult by a structure that leads to negative outcomes for so many families in Scotland and across the UK. The suggestions made in the letter would have an immediate and lasting impact, and we implore the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to take them seriously.

“Faith groups and charities across the country are doing our bit to tackle poverty, and it is time that the Government did the same.”

The letter, which was drafted by the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) of the Baptist, Methodist, and United Reformed Churches, has been signed by 38 faith leaders representing the five major faith groups in the UK.

You can read more at the JPIT website here.

The letter reads:

Dear Prime Minister and Chancellor,

As faith leaders from across the UK, we see the spiralling consequences of child poverty within the communities we serve. We believe that this can be reversed. As Parliament returns from recess and children return to school, we urge you to seize this moment to take decisive action to drive down child poverty.

We have never accepted that it is either necessary or inevitable that ever more children should be held back by poverty. Good policy, drawing together the work of faith groups, charities, business and government, when coupled with real investment, can be transformative. Many of us have long called for action to reduce the alarmingly high rates of child poverty in the UK. But with 4.5 million children now living in poverty, this challenge is only worsening. The recent report from the Children’s Commissioner for England, which pointed to children living in ‘Dickensian’ levels of poverty, is another in a long line of wake-up calls about the state of our communities.

Your upcoming strategy on child poverty, alongside the Budget this autumn, is an opportunity to invest in our children, both for now and for the future. However, this requires commitments that match the scale of the challenge. The recent measures to roll out breakfast clubs, support people into work and introduce early years support are important and welcome. But as you have recognised, they are a “downpayment”, insufficient to make substantial change on their own.

It is hard to conceive of an effective Child Poverty Strategy that does not act on the restrictive benefit cap and end the two-child limit. Faith groups have challenged the limit on moral grounds, rejecting the state’s abandonment of third and later children, and the poverty this inevitably causes. As many charities and think tanks have now shown, ending the two-child limit is also the most cost-effective way to address child poverty. We believe this must be a priority for your government.

We recognise that tackling child poverty will require additional government investment in challenging economic circumstances. However, prioritising our children is a moral imperative, so this is a time to be ambitious and creative. The IPPR proposal to bring gambling levies up to the levels of some of our European neighbours could raise £3.2 billion to lift 500,000 children out of poverty, offering one way to turn the tide on poverty in your upcoming Budget. We hope to see this same level of ambition matched in your strategy and Budget this autumn.

Across our different faiths we share a commitment to human dignity. Poverty tears away at that dignity, robbing people of the opportunity to live a full life that reflects their inherent value. It is simply wrong that millions of children are born into families that struggle to cover even the essentials. As we call on your government to take ambitious and properly funded action, we reaffirm our commitment to work alongside you and do all we can to tackle poverty in the communities we serve.

We encourage you to act now to secure the futures of millions of children. Childhood is precious, and with the right support, care and access to essentials, together we can enable every child to have the best start in life.

Yours sincerely,

Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Rt Rev Dr John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh
Rt Rev Dr Nicholas Bundock, Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway
Rt Rev Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney
Rt Rev Ian Paton, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane
Rt Rev David Railton, Bishop of Argyll and The Isles
Rt Rev Andrew Swift, Bishop of Brechin

Revd Richard Andrew, President of the Methodist Conference, Methodist Church in Britain
Rt Revd John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford
Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen, former Co-Chair, Assembly of Reform Rabbis and Cantors
Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Matthew Forsyth, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, Methodist Church in Britain
Raymond Friel OBE, CEO, Caritas Social Action Network
Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE, Chairman, Muslim-Jewish Forum
Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director, René Cassin – the Jewish voice for human rights
Most Revd Paul Hendricks, Auxiliary Bishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, Trustee of Caritas Social Action Network
Peter Lynas, UK Director, Evangelical Alliance
Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main, Territorial Leaders, The Salvation Army in the UK and Ireland
Most Revd Malcolm McMahon OP, Archbishop Emeritus of Liverpool, Chair of Caritas Social Action Network
Farooq Murad, CEO, The Islamic Foundation
Ravinder Kaur Nijjar, Chair of Interreligious Dialogue Committee, Sikhs in Scotland
Genesis Padgett, Youth President of the Methodist Church in Britain
Imam Dr Sayed Razawi OBE, Director General, Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society (SABS)
Bishop Paul Rochester, General Secretary, Free Churches Group
Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary, Churches Together in England
Zia Salik, Interim Director, Islamic Relief UK
Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Director, Network of Sikh Organisations UK
Bhai Sahib Prof Mohinder Singh OBE KSG, Spiritual Leader and Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha
Elizabeth Slade, Chief Officer, General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
Rt Revd Martyn Snow, Lord Bishop of Leicester, Church of England
Amrick Singh Ubhi, Director of Civic Engagement & Partnerships, Nishkam Civic Association
Dr Srihari Vallabhajousula, Honorary Hindu Priest, Hindu Temple of Scotland
Revd Diane Watts, Faith & Society Team Leader, Baptist Union of Great Britain
Catriona Wheeler, Moderator of the General Assembly, The United Reformed Church
Rt Revd Rob Wickham, Group Chief Executive Officer, Church Urban Fund
Rt Revd and Rt Hon The Lord Williams of Oystermouth (Dr Rowan Williams), former Archbishop of Canterbury
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi, Masorti Judaism