Report reveals almost one in four children in Fife living in poverty

It came from Eileen Eileen Rowand, executive director, Corporate Services as part of a report that will look at how to reduce poverty and increase employment opportunities across Fife.

At the meeting, Ms Rowand said: “We have roughly one in every four children living in poverty.

“Looking at this report, we have seen the earnings gap reduce, but the mid-Fife figures are still concerning.

“Child poverty is static across Fife, but in areas of high deprivation it is increasing. We need to make sure we have the right balance on mitigating actions to both increase earnings, but reduce living costs.”

In areas of high deprivation, 36 per cent of children are living in poverty.

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Ms Rowand also said that they hoped to push more businesses to take up the living wage pledge.

Co-leader of the council David Ross added: “The council is now putting well over £30m into child poverty prevention programmes. I think maybe we’ve lost a wee bit of sight on how all these things are working together, so from the council’s point of view, it would be useful to see how it is working.”

Cllr Dave Dempsy asked why things were as bad as they were, particularly in mid-Fife.

Tricia Marwick, who chairs NHS Fife, said: “It’s not a secret those areas relied on the coal industry and when the pits left there was nothing. There is a lack of jobs in those areas, there is simply no jobs, no connectivity to get people to where there is jobs – Levenmouth is a prime example of that.”

However, Ms Marwick added that the work being done to encourage businesses to the area in correlation with the new rail link was promising.