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ONE million Scots are living in poverty, figures revealed yesterday.

The shocking statistics showed almost one in five of us is on the breadline – and the problem is getting worse.

But the shame-faced Con-Dem Government claim their swingeing cuts and austerity measures are actually protecting the poor.

Official statistics for 2012-13 showed how many Scots were left struggling to get by after meeting housing costs.

They included 220,000 children, up 30,000 on the previous year.

The figures showed the poorest households have been hit hardest by austerity cuts, losing an average of £20 a week.

But those in work are also suffering because of low wages and rising costs of living.

Six out of every 10 kids in poverty are from families where at least one adult is working.

UK Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said child poverty had fallen.

He added: “Despite the deepest debt-fuelled recession in living memory, we have protected the most vulnerable families from falling behind, with 300,000 fewer children in poverty since 2010.”

But the figures from Duncan Smith’s own department showed 820,000 Scots were struggling to get by last year.

They were classed as being in relative poverty – where household income is less than 60 per cent of the average.

The total hit one million when housing costs were included.

Across the UK, 10.6million Britons were in absolute poverty.

Peter Kelly, of the Poverty Alliance, said: “Much of this is due to the policies being pursued by the current UK Government.

“Regressive tax policies and punitive welfare reform measures are pushing more people into poverty.

“People in Scotland and the UK simply don’t have enough money to live on.”

Scottish Labour social justice spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “The SNP failed to act quickly enough to mitigate the impact of the Tories’ bedroom tax in Scotland.”

But SNP Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The Scottish Government has focused on doing everything we can to mitigate the harmful effects of Westminster welfare cuts. But the impact is still being felt by the most vulnerable in our society.”