LABOUR has published a child poverty manifesto aimed at helping the tens of thousands living below the breadline.

Scottish party leader Kezia Dugdale said children have been abandoned.

The measures which would be implemented across the UK include increasing child benefit by £5 a week by 2020 and a £10 minimum wage.

It would introduce a ‘seasonal grant’ paid twice a year to the poorest families and doubling the Sure Start maternity grant to more than £1000.

Ms Dugdale said: “Child poverty is a national scandal. It should shame the Tories and the SNP that in the last year 40,000 more children are living in poverty.

“That simply isn’t good enough.”

Labour’s plan also involves building 45,000 new homes for social rent to prevent families trapped on waiting lists which the party said means 70,000 more children are pushed into poverty.

Ms Dugdale added: “Using Holyrood’s powers, Labour would increase Child Benefit to lift thousands of youngsters out of poverty, and a minimum wage of £10-an-hour will end the scandal of in-work poverty.”

Ms Dugdale said the action required means making Holyrood’s social security powers work, asking the richest to pay their fair share to invest in public services, and boosting wages.

The party’s mini manifesto comes as MSPs at Holyrood debated the first stage of a Child Poverty Bill, which set new targets for eradicating child poverty.

The £5 a week Child Benefit increase is one of the key actions called for by anti-poverty campaigners including the Poverty Alliance and the Child Poverty Action Group.

John Dickie, Chair of CPAG said the child Poverty Bill was welcome but further action was needed to make a real difference to families.

He said: “Using new powers to make a £5 top up to weekly child benefit would, for example, lift 30 000 children out of poverty”

The SNP measures on poverty in its manifesto include increasing the minimum wage to the living Wage to above £10 an hour by 2022.

It calls for an end to the sanctions regime of the Department for Work and Pensions where people can be left with no money forcing them to use food banks.