CAMPAIGNERS took their fight to combat poverty to the Scottish Parliament.

As part of Challenge Poverty Week, party leaders were asked to back the campaign and work to eradicate poverty.

Poverty Alliance highlighted the problem of in-work poverty.

The campaign shared the story of Sian Kingsbury, from Glasgow, who works as a translator and also cares for her daughter Lydia who has autism.

ian said: “My husband and I both work but the money we make isn’t enough to cover the family’s basic needs. 

“Our eight-year-old daughter Lydia is autistic and needs a lot of additional care. 

“It’s really tough finding work that accommodates that. I can’t just drop Lydia off at a sports club like a lot of other parents, I need to be there because she needs help staying safe.”

Sian said that any increase in outgoings is a struggle for the family despite being in work.

She added: “Over the summer we were so hard up that when bus fares went up we couldn’t afford public transport anymore so I could only get to places Lydia and I could walk to. 

“It was heartbreaking when Lydia would ask for something simple like a magazine that I know would give her a lot of joy, in a world that can be quite harsh for her, but I’d have to say no. 

“Counting the pennies like that and fretting about every bill is very stressful and it takes a toll on your mental health.

“What little extra we have goes on ensuring Lydia has the best life she can. On our wedding anniversary this year we felt we couldn’t treat ourselves to a coffee out.”

Challenge Poverty Week was debated in parliament and raised at First Minister’s Questions with the Scottish Government asked what it was doing to tackle the problem.

Labour Leader, Richard Leonard, asked the First Minister what her target was for reducing poverty in the next year.

Ms Sturgeon said the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report published this week outlined the challenges. She said the government had targets and was committed to introducing a new income supplement for low earning parents.

Mr Leonard wanted an increase in child benefit of £5 a week which he said would take 30,000 children out of poverty.

Ms Sturgeon however said that such an increase would see 70 per cent of the cash going to families not in poverty.

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance said: “In our society we believe in doing the right thing. 

“And yet, we’re letting increasing numbers of people get swept up in the rising tide of poverty. 

“All across Scotland people from all walks of life are coming together to highlight the problem and show what they are doing to help overcome the barriers that lock so many people in poverty.”