CHILD poverty in Renfrewshire is at record levels as a growing number of cash-strapped families struggle to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

Latest figures show a sharp increase in the number of youngsters being brought up in low income households.

In the Johnstone South and Elderslie electoral ward, there were 1,106 children on the breadline last year, compared to 706 in 2015 – a rise of 56%.

In neighbouring Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch, the figures are just as stark, with the number of youngsters living in poverty rising from 476 to 739.

The report by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) also revealed a 61% increase in child poverty in Renfrew North and Braehead, to 1,061 cases.

And the figure of 1,366 for Renfrew South and Gallowhill represents a 95% rise.

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Crystal Clayton, manager of Renfrewshire Foodbank, said she expects child poverty in the local area to grow even higher in the months to come.

She told The Gazette: "Wages and benefits may have increased but not in comparison to increases in the cost of living.

"People just don't have enough money. As a result, more families are coming to us for help as they struggle to feed themselves."

Councillor Andy Doig, who represents Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch, added: "I am not surprised by the figures but very saddened.

"It has been one hammer blow after another for local families in the past few years.

"There is a limit to what councils can do here. It is the task of government – both in Edinburgh and London – to look at getting the manufacturing part of the economy back on its feet."

The DWP report broke down the number of children aged 16 and under who are living in 'relative' and 'absolute' low income families.

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Relative low income is a measure of whether the poorest families are keeping pace with middle income households, while absolute low income measures if they are keeping pace with inflation.

Figures for other parts of Renfrewshire also make grim reading.

In the Houston, Crosslee and Linwood ward, the number of children in low income families rose from 668 in 2015 to 931 last year.

Erskine and Inchinnan saw an increase from 502 to 745.

However, there was better news in Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank, where the number fell from 334 to 202.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We recognise too many people are living in poverty.

“In this financial year, we have allocated almost £3billion to a range of measures which will help mitigate the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on households."