One in eight Midlothian children living in poverty last year

One in eight children in Midlothian were living in poverty during the first full year of the coronavirus pandemic, figures show.

Stock photo. PA

Department for Work and Pensions data shows 2,446 children aged under 16 were living in families with low incomes in 2020-21 – an estimated 13.5 per cent of all youngsters in the area. That was down from 15.6 per cent the year before, but more than the 12.8 per cent in 2014-15, when comparable figures were first published.

Of the children aged 0-15 in poverty in Midlothian last year, 779 (32 per cent) were aged below five. There were also 429 young people aged 16-19 in low income families. While, 65 per cent of youngsters aged 0-19 were in working households.

A family is defined as in low income if it earns less than 60 per cent of the national median household income before housing costs are considered.

Families are included in the figures if they have claimed child benefit alongside another means of support, such as Universal Credit, tax credits or housing benefit, at some point in the year.