A UNITED Nations special rapporteur is coming to Glasgow to investigate extreme poverty.

Professor Philip Alston will be in the city tomorrow to hear from groups and people dealing with the impact of a rise in poverty levels.

He visits the city at a time when in some communities more than half of children are living in poverty.

The professor will meet with groups at a Poverty Alliance event where he will hear accounts of the growing problem.

He will meet with Scottish Women’s Aid, Shelter Scotland, Citizens Advice Scotland, Inclusion and Menu For Change.

Poverty Alliance has launched its Agenda for Action setting out what can be done to help those in poverty.

It includes ensuring everyone in Scotland is able to access their right to an adequate income and a £5 a week Child Benefit top up.

Improvements to the public transport system and policies to make sure everyone can heat their home.

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said: “All levels of government have a responsibility to take action to reverse the rising tide of poverty. With 11 social security benefits now devolved or being devolved, the Scottish Government has a huge opportunity to ensure the support people receive enables everyone to have a decent standard of living, by moving towards meeting the Minimum Income Standard.”

The Rapporteur will also consider the impact of policies like Universal credit on poverty.

Prof Alston said: “The Government has made significant changes to social protection in the past decade, and I will be looking closely at the impact that has had on people living in poverty and their realisation of basic rights.

“Poverty is intertwined with human rights standards that the United Kingdom has ratified, including the right to food, housing, and an adequate standard of living and it affects access to civil and political rights,

First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, will meet the Special Rapporteur today.

Ms Sturgeon, said: “We continue to work to end child poverty and we have set ambitious statutory targets as part of that process. Just some of the measures in our tackling child poverty plan include the introduction of our Best Start Grant for low income families, a £12 million fund to support parents into work.”