The wages brought in by Dundee families must increase if the city is to break free from the grasp of a crippling poverty crisis, local leaders have been told.
One in four children in the city are now said to be living in poverty and that number jumps to one in three in some of the worst areas of deprivation.
The latest figures from the Child Poverty Action Group reveal that of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas only Glasgow has a greater problem.
Over half of those in poverty in Dundee are in “working” families and addressing that issue is one of the key challenges facing the Dundee Fairness Commission.
It has been set up to help address poverty and inequality in the city and had its second meeting this week at which low pay was identified as a key factor behind Dundee’s ills.
“We currently have a frankly scandalous situation where one in five of Scotland’s children are growing up in poverty,” Child Poverty Action Group director John Dickie said.
“That is over 220,000 children growing up in families with incomes that are inadequate for the task of giving them a fair start in life in 21st Century Scotland.
“Sadly, the harsh reality is that in Dundee an even greater proportion of children are growing up in poverty, with one in four children living below the poverty line.
“In some areas that figure jumps to one in three children.
“There are, however, things that can be done at a local level in terms of working with local employers in all sectors to ensure that parents get the living wage and are paid decently.
“It is also important that families here in Dundee receive the support that they are entitled to and do not miss out on vital benefits and tax credits.”
Also speaking at the meeting was John McKendrick, a senior lecturer at the Glasgow School for Business and Society at Glasgow Caledonian University.
He praised the efforts of Dundee City Council to help tackle poverty, but said much more would need to be done in the years ahead.
“This is a bad news story for Dundee but that is not to say that there is anything wrong with the types of things that are being done in Dundee,” he said.
“Dundee City Council has a tremendous amount of services that it provides but it has some tough decisions to make in the years ahead as budgets are squeezed.
“We must do everything we can locally and nationally to ensure that those who are most vulnerable are least affected by those tough decisions.”
In the coming months, the Dundee Fairness Commission will look to address some of the most pressing issues facing the city through a series of monthly meetings open to the public.