Ayrshire MP hosts Scottish children's charity at Westminster on 150th anniversary

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An Ayrshire MP has hosted a visit from Aberlour children’s charity at Westminster as they celebrate their 150th anniversary.

Elaine Stewart, MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock welcomed the charity on Tuesday, January 14, to help give an insight into child poverty across the country for MPs.

A roundtable discussion on child poverty and public debt was held by the Labour MP alongside Aberlour chief executive SallyAnn Kelly and Glasgow University academic Morag Treanor.Employment Minister Alison McGovern MP also attended the roundtable which highlighted the impact of public debt on low-income families.Aberlour have campaigned for the Scottish Government to write off money owed for school meals as ministers launched a £2.8m fund to cancel debt owed by struggling families.The charity is now calling on MPs to help stop low-income families being aggressively pursued for debts like rent or council tax owed to public sector organisations.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.Commenting, Ms Stewart said: “Even though Aberlour is Scotland’s children’s charity, I am glad that it also looks at tackling poverty through a UK-wide lens.“After all, poverty doesn’t recognise borders.

Under the current system, disadvantaged families are at risk of getting locked into a vicious cycle of welfare payments that only service debt.“If different approaches can ease poverty on families, such