THE news that 37,000 families will benefit from the new social security payment is good, as it will undoubtedly help parents struggling with costs of raising children.

The news that 37,000 families need this help in 2019 is not good, it is a sign that for generations poverty in this city has failed to be taken seriously enough and tackled effectively by a succession of governments and councils.

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The Scottish Child Payment of £10 a week for low income families will be introduced by the end of 2022.

That is also too long to wait and offers nothing for people struggling now, and by all accounts making ends met for those on the lowest income is becoming a harder challenge with every passing week.

Three years is a long time especially when you are wondering if your cash will last till the end of the week.

It’s three more summer holidays which put extra pressure on parents and three more back to school worries over uniform.

Efforts locally have been made to address both of the above with holiday hunger programmes across Glasgow and a significant increase in the clothing grant.

They will be a welcome relief taking some pressure off mums and dads trying to stretch incomes week to week and budget for annual expenses.

Another set of statistics this week show where the effort has to be made in the longer term.

Glasgow has the second highest rate of households with someone aged 16 to 65 where no one is in work in the whole of the United Kingdom.

For the last five years it has been consistent around the 25% mark.

One in four households in Glasgow has not a single person in employment. And as always in certain parts of the city with higher levels of deprivation the figure will be far higher.

The United Kingdom figure is 14.5%.

At the same time as making life better for those currently in poverty efforts need to be increased to reduce the rate of workless households.

It involves education to ensure we have the right skills to attract more companies to open or locate to Glasgow and health to ensure we reduce the high number of people whose healthy life expectancy doesn’t last until the end of their working life.

Another big problem is even when people are in work it is not enough to cover the basis costs of housing, heating, food and clothing for a family.

Low paid, part time, insecure work with no guarantee of set hours every week is playing havoc with people’s budgeting.

Greater regulation has to placed on firms who are using this type of work to reduce costs and use the myth of flexibility for the employee as cover for their exploitation.

Pressure needs to be put on every level of government to ensure they are treating poverty as seriously as they should.

PLANS to make a west end community the most cycle friendly in the country are being developed.

No doubt it will get the hackles raised of some who see cyclists as a nuisance or even a menace on the roads.

But well done to Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Community Council for successfully bidding for cash to make streets safer for cycling and walking.

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It is impossible to ignore there has been a big increase in cycling in Glasgow in recent years and there would be even more if if was safer with more dedicated cycle paths, shared spaces and segregated cycle ways on the main roads.

There is already the West City Way cycle route which includes some segregated sections and some off road. the South City Way is also being developed.

The cycle way on the new look Sauchiehall street is an excellent addition to the city centre, but at Rose Street there is a sign that says end of route.

Imagine being in a car and you come to such a sign.

Others should take the lead of Yorkhill and Kelvingrove and improve facilities then we can have a whole city where cycling is a safer and more viable alternative to the car for even more people.

BORIS Johnson sneaked out the back door of Bute House after his meeting with Nicola Sturgeon this week.

He may have won the Tory leadership contest but it remains to be seen if he can command a majority in the House of Commons and get a Brexit deal should he secure one, passed by MPs.

A no deal Brexit, which he is threatening the EU with is unlikely to get approval of the Parliament.

Mr Johnson is yet to be seriously tested as Prime Minister.

When he is he could be sneaking out another back door.