Easing poverty in Scotland

Sir,

The Covid-19 pandemic has ‘intensified' the poverty experienced by low-income families across Scotland.

A report, published as part of our Get Heard Scotland project, is based on interviews with 32 low-income families from Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, exploring their experiences during the pandemic.

Covid-19 had intensified their challenges, with lone parents, black and minority ethnic families, and families with a disabled parent or child the most impacted.

Particular issues include the mental health impact of living on a low income, with loss of support networks, childcare and schooling having a significant impact; the precariousness of incomes, with increased reliance on crisis support; the prevalence of insecure employment, with structural discrimination against black and minority ethnic communities and disabled people; and the importance of access to community spaces and infrastructure, including green spaces.

Digital exclusion for shopping and reducing isolation was also a key issue. It calls on service providers to continue investing in face-to-face support to ensure everyone can access the help they need. Recommendations in the report include:

▍ Increasing investment in mental health services, addressing stigma through targeted local activity

▍ More action to increase the number of workers receiving the real Living Wage and ensuring employability services work for everyone regardless of age, gender, race or other characteristics

▍ Ensuring that income adequacy is central to the development of Scottish social security and promoting awareness of social security entitlements

▍ Increasing support for community groups and local anchor organisations.

We heard about some amazing efforts made by community organisations and local public services to make sure people were supported during the pandemic.

Groups and local authorities worked together to get help to those who needed it. But the reality that we found is that despite these efforts many people felt their experience of poverty deepen during the pandemic.

The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets on tackling child poverty. This report demonstrates, through the experiences of people living on low incomes, how much work is still required if they are to meet them.

It is vital that policy-makers at every level – particularly local authorities and the Scottish Government – listen to and act on the voices of people experiencing poverty.

They must also place those voices at the heart of their decision-making processes.

Peter Kelly, director, Poverty Alliance