The Scottish government has said a brand new benefit will provide eligible families with £10 a week for every child under 16, with introduction for under sixes starting by early 2021.

The details of the Scottish Child Payment of £10 were revealed by Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell.

She said when the policy was fully in place and available for all children it would cost £180m a year, with the early roll-out for under sixes costing £70m

Ms Campbell said it demonstrated that Scotland was the only part of the UK making a serious commitment to reducing child poverty.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton welcomes the new benefit, before asking about efforts to ensure there is good uptake.

He also calls for parliament to be kept updated on uptake figures.

Ms Campbell confirms cabinet colleague Shirley-Anne Somerville will keep parliament involved.

She points to the high uptake of the Best Start Grant as proof of what can be done when stigma is tackled.

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Green MSP Alison Johnstone says means tested payments have lower rates of take up than universal payments.

Ms Johnstone seeks assurances that every low income family eligible for the Scottish Child Payment will receive it, especially as the uptake of the qualifying benefits is lower than that of child benefit.

Ms Campbell pledges to maximise the uptake and reminds the chamber the qualifying benefits will be Universal Credit and legacy benefits.

Labour MSP Elaine Smith welcomes the government responding to calls for this benefit to be implemented sooner than 2022 for under sixes.

However, she says child poverty targets will not be met by a single measure and she asks about others.

Ms Smith also queries why the minister will not take steps to mitigate the so-called rape clause.

I thought this announcement would be welcomed by Labour, replies the minister.

When we have the powers to deliver, this is what we can achieve, Ms Campbell says, urging MSPs to imagine what would could be done if the Scottish government was not having to mitigate UK government policies.

She directs the member to a range of actions set out in the child poverty document for info on further measures.

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Tory MSP Michelle Ballantyne says there are no numbers in this statement and asks what the delivery costs will be.

Ms Ballantyne cites delays to the management of some of the devolved benefits and asks for assurances there will be no further delays.

Ms Campbell says she set out very clearly significant numbers in her statement, the most significant one being that 30,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by this policy alone.

Another figures is the 3% shift in the child poverty made all the more difficult by Michelle Balantyne's party, adds the minister.

She says the government will invest £70m in the first full year of the early payment to under sixes.

That will rise to £180m in the first full year of the Scottish Child Payments to all under 16s.

The minister says the new benefit will be £10 per week.

For a two child family, this will make a major difference she says.

This will be given to 140,000 households with 170,000 children Ms Campbell states.

It is expected to improve child poverty rates by three percentage points, with many more thousands of families to be benefited too.

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Ms Campbell says the payment will be based on qualifying benefits, however as Universal Credit is not yet fully rolled out, Social Security Scotland will manage an application process.

The minister says the Scottish Child Payment will be delivered in full by the end of 2022, but she adds we have listened to campaigners.

She announces: "We will introduce the Scottish Child Payment for children under six by the end of this parliamentary term."

Ms Campbell confirms the government will introduce a new benefit for children: the Scottish Child Payment.

This payment will be delivered by the end of 2022 for all eligible children under 16.

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Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell says the report from the special rapporteur on extreme poverty makes for "shocking reading".

It said the UK's social safety net has been "deliberately removed and replaced with a harsh and uncaring ethos".

Special rapporteur on extreme poverty Philip Alston said "ideological" cuts to public services since 2010 have led to "tragic consequences".

The report comes after Prof Alston visited UK towns and cities and made preliminary findings last November.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell says the government has been working hard to build the foundations for transformational change in terms of tackling child poverty.

Our progress report shows 48 of the 50 actions in the plan are underway, she adds.

She points to measures like the minimum school uniform grant, new benefits and income check service as evidence of the work the government is doing.

The report also highlights that £527m in 2018-19 has gone directly towards low income families.

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A new Scottish benefit to tackle child poverty is expected to be fast-tracked.

The Scottish government is expected to bring forward its "family income supplement" which was due to begin in 2022.

Charities have been putting pressure on the government to introduce the cash benefit sooner to help struggling families.

Latest government statistics, external indicate almost a quarter of children in Scotland are living in poverty.

That amounts to about 240,000 youngsters, where poverty is defined as the household income of below 60% of the UK median after housing costs. In 2018 the median UK disposable income was £28,000, external, and 60% of that is £17,040.

On Monday, campaigners said the legislation for the new benefit should be included in the next programme for government, with an interim version put in place during the process.

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• Read more here

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The Scottish government will now deliver a progress report on its Tackling Child Poverty Plan.

The Scottish government published its Every Child, Every Chance: the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2018-22, external on 29 March 2018.

This plan sets out actions to be taken to progress towards the child poverty targets set for 2030.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie defends his party's decision not to participate in the discussions, arguing taxpayers money "should not be used for this party political process".

He asks if the Assembly calls on the government to "abandon independence, will it do so?"

Mr Russell reiterates he will listen to the assembly, but adds Mr Rennie will not allow the assembly to take have that opinion because he does not want it to sit.

He argues this is neither liberal, nor democratic.

Image source, Citizens Assembly

The Citizens Assembly website is now live., external

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Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie welcomes the fact that most MSPs see positives in this proposal.

Mr Harvie asks if there is no legislative basis, how does Mr Russell see positive opportunities for the relationship between the Assembly and parliament.

Mr Russell says the relationship between the conveners of the Assembly, its members and the parliament will be a constructive one.

"Let's be open about the contribution our fellow citizens can make," he adds.