Families ‘struggle’ following years of austerity

Years of austerity have left many vulnerable fam i l ie s fa c ing destitution, according to a new report from NSPCC Scotland and Barnardo’s Scotland.

Challenges from the Frontline – Revisited highlights that family support needs were increas ing wh i le funding for services was being cut before the coronavirus crisis hit the country.

The research, carried ou t be fo re the pandemic, showed a r i s i n g n e e d compounded with dwindling resources had left some families struggling to obtain adequate food, secure housing and basic necessities.

Service managers told researchers welfare reform had financially punished a whole sec t ion o f the population.

One said: p o v e r t y disadvantage see now.

“It was always there but it ’s certainly e x a c e r b at e d by the welfare reform over the past few years.

“The rise of foodbanks here is mass ive . Families use them on a regular basis and you can see that, families who come to us and are really struggling.”

The charities have called on Scottish Government ministers to push ahead with implementing findings by the Independent Care Review, which issued a report in February.

They added that the Covid-19 pandemic has p r e s en t ed th e opportunity to overhaul services as a matter of urgency.

Ma r t in C rewe , director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “We need to harness the desire to do things differently, to reach out to families with a strengthened social safety net to prevent longer term difficulties developing in young people’s lives.”

“It’s the a n d that we