SCOTLAND'S children's commissioner has said he may consider legal action over the Universal Credit rollout if it leaves children in such dire poverty that they end up without essentials like a warm home and hot meals.

Bruce Adamson said that poverty was now the biggest human rights issue facing children in Scotland and called for political leadership to ensure they were protected from welfare reform.

The controversial measure, being rolled out across the UK, brings six existing benefit payments into one and it has faced fierce criticism over claims some people had to wait six weeks for their first payment, leading to debt, rent arrears and evictions.

However the UK Government said Universal Credit was helping people improve their lives and insisted the system was working.