Save the Children: Thousands Experience 'Severe Poverty' in Scotland

Save the Children (STC) recently announced that more than 90,000 children in Scotland live in "severe poverty".

Just under 10 per cent of the country's one million youngsters as living in its worst poverty bracket, the charity has classified.

It comprises children aged 15 or under living with two parents who bring home less than £7,000 a year after paying for housing costs. The statistic is in the charity's Living Below the Radar report.

The study by STC, which was published on Tuesday, suggest that one third of children in severe poverty cannot afford play equipment such as a bike or a football, while a quarter miss out on going to toddler or play groups once a week.

The report also found that about 20 per cent of the under-privileged youngsters cannot afford to celebrate occasions like Christmas or birthdays.

It has been prepared using annual government figures analysing family resources, which STC said do not measure "severe poverty".

The study has calculated that about 72 per cent of severely poor children live in jobless households, while researchers concluded that a third of households affected are not receiving benefits or tax credits to which they are entitled.

In Scotland, 18 per cent of children are classified as being in non-severe poverty, or living in households with incomes of £10,350 after housing costs.