The Welfare Experiences project is a ground-breaking international study comparing how people experience benefits in Estonia, Hungary, Norway, Spain, and the UK.It looks at how policies shape those experiences and, more importantly, what needs to change.
Inclusion Scotland is proud to be a co-production partner, bringing disabled people’s lived experience in Scotland into the spotlight. In 2024, we ran focus groups with our members about claiming Universal Credit.
This report shares what they told us. These are real stories that we aim to use to push for a fairer, more respectful benefits system.
The Welfare Experiences project is an ambitious, innovative project comparing the experience of receiving benefits in five different countries: Estonia, Hungary, Norway, Spain and the UK.
The project will be one of the first international comparisons of the experiences of individuals receiving public benefits. We are looking at the nature of these experiences, how different policies affect them, and their impacts – with the aim of making welfare systems work better.
The project runs from 2023-28 and is both mixed-methods and coproduced – find out more by looking at the Work Packages page, which explains what we are doing.
Our pan-European team includes eight different research organisations and seven organisations that work with people with lived experience of claiming – you can find out more about the Team here.
The WelfareExperiences project receives €3m of funding from the UK Research & Innovation Guarantee [EP/Y024621/1], having been selected by the European Research Council.
The seventh annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised £15,203 adding to the previously raised amount of £700,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity.
9 acts performed for the Big Brain Tumour Benefit: Ivo Graham, David O’Doherty, Michelle Wolf, Abandoman, Celya AB, Emmanuel Sonubi, Garry Starr, Ahir Shah and Bella Hull.
Underbelly today announces the 7th Annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised £15,203 for The Brain Tumour Charity, the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.
A stand-out in Underbelly’s 25th Anniversary programme, the one-off show hosted by Ivo Graham featured performances from O’Doherty, Michelle Wolf, Celya AB, Emmanuel Sonubi, Garry Starr, Ahir Shah, Bella Hull and Abandoman in his only Fringe performance of 2025. 100% of profits (ticket income less box office commissions and other costs related to the event) from this promotional venture will be donated to The Brain Tumour Charity.
The Big Brain Tumour Benefit was created by Underbelly in 2017 following the diagnosis of an aggressive and rare form of brain cancer called Ependymoma in Alfie Bartlam, the son of Underbelly’s co-founder Ed Bartlam. At the end of August in 2019, Alfie sadly died, aged 7.
Ed Bartlam, Underbelly’s co-founder said: “I’d like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who performed in, and attended Underbelly’s 7th annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit last night.
“It makes me immensely proud that together we have raised more than £15,000 with donations going to a specific research project to find new treatments for some of the most aggressive forms of paediatric brain tumours.
“Our goal is to raise £1.5 million for this project through a series of special fundraising events such as Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit. Together we can continue to raise vital funds for research and awareness so that nobody’s life expectancy is dictated by their tumour.”
Sally King, Corporate Partnerships Manager at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We’re thrilled that this year’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised over £15,000 and want to thank everyone for their incredible support and generosity.
“This event is a true highlight of Edinburgh Fringe 2025 – uniting us in comedy to raise awareness and vital funds – and we are hugely grateful to the team at Underbelly for their unwavering commitment to helping us defeat brain tumours.”
Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and adults under 40. They shorten life expectancy by an average of 27 years, the most of any cancer. Despite this, brain tumour research is underfunded compared to many other cancers.
Research into brain tumours is severely underfunded in the UK and yet represents the biggest cancer killer for under 40s. Around 500 children and young people in the UK are diagnosed each year but diagnosis times of childhood brain tumours are longer in the UK than in many other countries.
The Brain Tumour Charity is committed to improving the lives of everyone affected by a brain tumour diagnosis.
To find out more about the vital work that they do and to get help from their support services, please visit www.thebraintumrcharity.org or call their Information and support line on 0808 800 0004.
Further donations to the fund are welcome by visiting the link here:
Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan published
Pic Greg Macvean 27/06/2024
Isle of May
Measures such as eradicating non-native invasive predators on seabird islands and restoring seagrass meadows and kelp forests to help increase food supplies are just some of the actions set out today to protect Scotland’s seabirds.
Scotland’s coastline and waters are of global importance to seabirds but almost two thirds of Scotland’s species have declined over the last 20 years.
The Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan sets out a range of steps to stop the decline, improve resilience to environmental factors and protect these iconic animals. Including:
enhancing food availability by improving conditions for prey and minimising bycatch and tackling marine litter
providing safe nesting areas by eradicating non-native invasive predators such as brown rats and American mink
undertaking key research and monitoring of Scottish seabirds to understand how to build resilience and reduce mortality rates
working in partnership with local and international communities, marine and coastal sectors, and environmental organisations to tackle issues on a global scale
The action plan was developed in partnership with NatureScot, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and British Trust for Ornithology.
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action Gillian Martin said: “The climate crisis, invasive non-native species, marine litter and access to food are contributing to declining seabird numbers around the world.
“Publishing the Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan today marks a vital step forward in protecting some of our most iconic and vulnerable marine species and sets out actions to collectively tackle pressures affecting seabirds.
“I’m confident that with concerted effort and shared responsibility, we can stop the declines we are seeing in our seabird populations and increase their resilience to a changing climate to secure their future.
Pic Greg Macvean 07/07/2021 – Bass Rock landing
“As top predators, seabirds are indicators of the health of marine ecosystems, playing a crucial role in maintaining balance within marine food webs. Seabirds also have a significant role in the economy supporting a thriving tourism industry that is vital to local economies, particularly in rural and island communities.
“Only by working together can we ensure that Scotland remains a global stronghold for seabirds for the benefit of us all, now and in the future.”
NatureScot Chair Colin Galbraith said: “Scotland is a crucial area for internationally important populations of seabirds to breed and forage. The latest research shows many seabird populations are in decline.
“This new Action Plan will help these vulnerable seabird populations recover and will help the overall wellbeing of the marine environment on which they depend. Having healthy seas is important, and can safeguard livelihoods and food, whilst tackling the urgent issues of nature loss and the climate impacts.”
Scottish Seabird Centre CEO Harry Huyton said: “From the great gannet colonies on St Kilda and Bass Rock, to the puffin burrows that crowd the grassy slopes of Unst and the Isle of May, Scotland is blessed with extraordinary seabird populations.
“Many are of international importance, yet most seabird species in Scotland are in decline, and urgent, transformative action is needed to save them.
“The ambition and actions set out in the new Seabird Action Plan are exactly what’s needed, but it’s critical that they are now delivered with urgency and fully embedded across Government.”
President Macron, Prime Minister Starmer and Chancellor Merz today co-chaired a virtual meeting of a grouping of ‘Coalition of the Willing’ leaders yesterday
President Macron, Prime Minister Starmer and Chancellor Merz co-chaired a virtual meeting of a grouping of ‘Coalition of the Willing’ Leaders and with the participation of President Zelenskyy and Vice-President Vance, ahead of President Trump’s meeting with President Putin in Alaska.
Leaders welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace. They welcomed the open discussions with President Trump earlier that day.
They were clear that the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.
It was necessary to continue an approach that combined active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia. A diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.
They also reiterated that:
First, meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or a lasting and significant cessation of hostilities.
Second, sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia’s war economy should be strengthened if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire in Alaska.
Third, international borders must not be changed by force.
Fourth, Ukraine must have robust and credible security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role, including through plans by those willing to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia could not have a veto against Ukraine‘s pathway to EU and NATO.
They confirmed they would continue to cooperate closely with President Trump and with the United States of America, and with President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine, for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Schools and early years settings across Edinburgh have welcomed back children and young people, parents and carers, teachers and school staff after the summer holidays.
Over 53,000 secondary and primary school learners will head back to the classroom this week, along with dedicated teaching and school staff. This includes 25,057 secondary school pupils in S1 to S6 and 28,307 primary school learners in P1 to P7.
Around 3,500 new Primary 1 pupils are starting their school journey including 55 sets of twins.
Over 4,400 young people will start secondary school and transition into S1 at one of our secondary schools.
The brand-new Currie Community High School building will welcome 920 learners through its doors for the very first time.
As a brand-new school year gets underway, Education, Children and Families Convener, Councillor James Dalgleish, said: “There’s always a buzz in the air this time of year as a new school year and new term begins.
“For some of our children and young people, the new school year will mark the start of an exciting milestone as they start in P1, S1 or in one of our early years settings. I am confident that our fantastic teaching and school staff will do all they can to support children and their families to settle in as quickly as possible.
“I hope that families, children and school staff alike return well rested after a relaxing and enjoyable summer break. I wish everyone a brilliant start to the new school year and a successful year ahead!”
51,400 older people endured dangerous 12 hour waits in Scotland’s A&Es last year
Extreme long waits in Emergency Departments across Scotland are a political responsibility that can no longer be ignored as more than 51,400 older patients endured stays of 12 hours or more last year – the worst on record.
New analysis from the Royal College of Emergency (RCEM) reveals in major EDs, one in every eight patients (51,423) aged 60 or over waited more than 12 hours to be transferred, admitted or discharged in 2024.
That’s 14,407 more patients than the year before (2023).
And is over 16 times more people than in 2019 when just 3,135 older people endured waits of this length.
The figures, obtained by RCEM via Freedom of Information requests to Public Health Scotland, also reveal that, concerningly, the older a patient is the longer they are likely to wait in A&E.
People aged 70-79 have a 12% chance of waiting 12 hours or more – almost 16 times higher than it was in 2019.
Meanwhile, people aged 80-89 have a 16% chance of enduring extreme waits, and the likelihood rises to 19% for those aged 90 and above.
Compare that to patients aged 18-29, whose average likelihood of experiencing a 12-hour wait last year was just 2.2%.
Older patients often arrive to the Emergency Department with more complicated or multiple health issues.
This, when combined with the inability to admit them onto a ward due to the lack of available in-patient beds, means older people can become stuck in Emergency Departments – enduring extreme long waits, often on trolleys in corridors.
And when patients do finally get admitted, they often find themselves stranded in hospital, unable to go home when they are well enough to leave, frequently due to a lack of available social care support.
Public Health Scotland recently revealed that in 2024/25, there was a record 720,119 days spent in hospital by patients whose discharge was delayed – 474,153 of which were experienced by people aged 75 or over. This accounted for two out of every three (66%) delayed discharge bed days.
Dr Fiona Hunter, Vice President of RCEM Scotland, said, “This data is both shocking and shameful, and it is abundantly clear that older people are bearing the brunt of a system in crisis.
“Hundreds of thousands of dearly loved people – great-grandparents, grandmas, grandads, parents – forced to experience extreme long stays in our Emergency Departments every year mainly because we don’t have enough in-patient beds to admit them to when they need one.
“Often enduring these waits on trolleys in areas that aren’t designed to deliver care in – corridors or even cupboards.
“It’s a failure of the system. It’s unacceptable, it’s dangerous and it’s putting lives at risk.
“Enough is enough. The government can’t ignore the ongoing crisis our Emergency Departments – the workforce and patients – continue to face day in, day out.
“We all deserve an Urgent and Emergency Care system that works as it should and not letting people, our most vulnerable, down when they need it most.”
Dr Bob Caslake, Chair of the BGS Scotland Council, said, “This report highlights the urgent attention that is needed across the health and social care system to allow older people to access the care they need at the time they need it.
“The current waiting times faced by older people in Emergency Departments are unacceptable, and reducing these delays is a matter of equity, dignity, and patient safety.”
Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh said, “It is disappointing that this information is not routinely collected, analysed and published and it is unacceptable to see so many older people waiting hours — sometimes days — in A&E wards for the care they need.
“These older people are often living with frailty, dementia, and multiple other health conditions. They deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion.
“Long waits for care are neither dignified nor compassionate and can also lead to serious harm. This is not the standard of care we should accept for our parents, grandparents, or neighbours.
“With the numbers of older people in Scotland in need of care expected to increase dramatically, we urgently need a system that prioritises timely treatment and supports frontline staff in delivering the respect and care our older population deserves.”
The figures come after the Royal College of Emergency Medicine published a report earlier this year looking at the care older people, aged 75 and over, receive in Emergency Departments across the UK.
Titled ‘Care of Older People 2023-24’, the research found there was insufficient screening for three common conditions which primarily affect this age group, including delirium and for general frailty.
Scot suffers life-changing disability after missing out on stroke treatment
John Watson, Associate Director for the Stroke Association in Scotland, said: “Stroke is the third biggest killer in Scotland, and the leading cause of complex adult disability. But the latest official figures show the ongoing failure of health boards to make stroke the priority it needs to be.
“The failure is most striking in thrombectomy, a life-saving, life-changing treatment that should be a normal part of any modern healthcare system. Thrombectomy also saves the health and care system £47,000 per patient over five years2, potentially providing part of the solution to the current NHS and social care crisis.
“A Scotland-wide, round-the-clock thrombectomy service was promised years ago, yet less than a fifth of eligible patients get the intervention1 that could transform their lives. The thrombectomy rate elsewhere in the UK3 is more than double that in Scotland.
“Today we highlight the harrowing story of one man who was unable to get treatment because he had his stroke in the wrong place, at the wrong time of day (see Graham’s story below). Last year over 1,000 people were similarly let down by health board’s who offer thrombectomy in some places, at restricted times.
“We work closely with stroke teams and recognise the tremendous efforts made by staff on the ground. But they can’t sort this on their own. It is political decisions, from the Scottish Government and health board leadership, that determine the resources, equipment and staff available to them.
“Small sums of money, such as investing in new operating suites to perform thrombectomies, would remove an existing bottleneck, save lives and quickly pay for themselves.
“But more than anything this requires political leadership.
“Oversight of the thrombectomy programme has now been passed to the NHS Planning and Delivery Board – it needs to own this problem and make it the priority it should have been all along.”
Graham McGowan, 53, from Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, suffered left-sided paralysis when he was unable to have a thrombectomy, for a stroke he had in 2022, due to restricted availability of the procedure.
The former performance improvement consultant, trail runner and skier was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on the evening of 20 May 2022 with a brain scan revealing a blood clot, which doctors advised should be treated with a thrombectomy.
Thrombectomy is a medical procedure that removes blood clots in a large artery, which can otherwise cause disabilities such as paralysis, blindness and communication problems.
However, Graham was told he couldn’t be transferred for the procedure because he arrived at hospital outside “office hours” at around 9pm. Otherwise, he would have been air lifted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, which is one of Scotland’s three specialist thrombectomy hubs.
Ninewells is only able to perform thrombectomies from 9am-7pm, Monday to Friday. The Stroke Association is calling for a 24/7 Scotland-wide thrombectomy service, which it says has been a Scottish Government commitment for years.
Instead, Graham had thrombolysis, a drug which is used to try to disperse clots and help restore the blood supply to the brain.
Three years later, Graham lives with life-limiting disability including total immobility on his left side, and is keen to raise awareness of the importance of 24/7 access to a national thrombectomy service to prevent future stroke patients in Scotland missing out on the procedure and all the positive outcomes it can bring.
He said: “I don’t want to dwell too much on the ‘what ifs’ and the cost of me not getting a thrombectomy, as it doesn’t help me mentally.
“But if you take me as an example, I was working and had an active, healthy lifestyle before I had a stroke. Now, I can’t live independently. I can’t work. I can’t drive, ski, run or mountain bike. My wife is now also my carer and there has been a dramatic change in our circumstances.”
Graham’s stroke was caused by a carotid arterial dissection – a tear in the carotid artery, which leads to a blockage or formation of a blood clot. The clot had broken up and travelled to Graham’s brain, causing the stroke. He stresses: “I’d been running the day before I had my stroke. I was fit and healthy – there were no signs that I could have a stroke, I had no risk factors.”
The immediate effect was paralysis down the left hand side of his body, leaving him unable to sit up, stand or walk, which Graham describes as, “disturbing”.
He continues: “It was difficult to deal with, but even then I thought it was temporary. I thought I would be treated and I’d be OK again.”
His rehabilitation and life since have proved otherwise. After four days of constant sleep and “unbelievable pain in my head”, Graham’s four months of hospital recovery and intensive physiotherapy began.
He returned home to his wife, Heather, and their two dogs in September 2022.
He says the support he received at Woodend Rehabilitation Hospital in Aberdeen was invaluable.
“The physio team helped me take my first, single step and taught me to walk again. But there were significant challenges at home. Heather has always been so upbeat and supportive but I can’t really do anything around the house anymore. It puts a lot of responsibility on her.”
Initially, Graham relied on a wheelchair, with Heather or a retired neighbour pushing him around the village or the woods to experience a little of the outdoors he loves so much. With perseverance and patient support he is now able to walk around the same places.
Graham now aims to walk 50km every month and is applying the same determination to volunteering with the Stroke Association’s Deeside Stroke Group.
Graham found the group online and was delighted to find it had an exercise focus. He says: “Heather pushed me in my wheelchair along to my first group session that autumn and I walked the few steps into the hall where it was held.”
In March 2024, Graham was appointed chair of the group and has found a renewed sense of purpose in using the knowledge and skills he gained in his 26 years of work to help the group thrive and welcome new members.
Deeside Stroke Support Group currently has around twenty five members, meeting weekly in Aboyne and Banchory for exercise sessions and monthly for social get-togethers. For more information, contact engagementteamscotland@stroke.org.uk.
John Watson, Associate Director for the Stroke Association in Scotland, said: “Graham’s story pulls the need for a 24/7 Scotland-wide thrombectomy service into sharp focus. Getting the best stroke care shouldn’t depend on where or when your stroke happens.
“We are enormously grateful to Graham for sharing his story to help us campaign for better stroke treatment and remain indebted for the wonderful job he is doing at the Deeside Stroke Group.”
Increasing tree production to help tackle climate change
The First Minister has opened a new £26 million facility to help grow more trees for Scotland’s forests and woodlands.
Newton Tree Nursery, near Elgin, will support Forestry and Land Scotland to almost treble their tree production – from seven million to nearly 20 million trees per year by 2029. It will help support the sustainable management of Scotland’s national forests and land and help tackle the climate emergency, while also supporting the rural economy.
Seedling operations at the redeveloped tree nursery began in March 2025 and 12 million trees have already been established within the glasshouse. The new nursery is the UK’s largest and most advanced tree-growing glasshouse and sets a new standard for bio secure, sustainable, and high-volume forest nursery production.
The facility ensures that an adequate supply of high-quality trees is available to supply the publicly managed forests of Scotland with those forests supporting rural economies, providing flood mitigation, improving biodiversity and sequestering carbon.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Scotland’s world-renowned forests and woodlands are a natural powerhouse, and one of the most important resources we have to tackle the climate emergency.
“Our investment in this state-of-the-art glasshouse will not only contribute to environmental sustainability and help to restore habitats, but it will also support rural jobs and the sustainable use of timber in the construction industry. The Newton Tree Nursery project is a national asset, powering Scotland’s green recovery, forestry resilience, and environmental goals for decades to come.
“Tackling the climate emergency and growing Scotland’s economy are two of my government’s top priorities and together they go hand in hand. We cannot do one without the other and innovative, industry leading facilities like the Newton Tree Nursery will play a vital role in achieving these goals.”
Forestry and Land Scotland CEO Kevin Quinlan said: “Newton Nursery represents a major investment by the Scottish Government in the future of forestry in Scotland.
“It strengthens Forestry and Land Scotland’s ability to supply young trees at the scale and standard needed to support a resilient, productive and sustainable forest resource.
“This is especially important for the timber industry – which continues to grow as Scotland looks to reduce reliance on imports and embrace timber as a low-carbon material of the future. By increasing capacity at Newton, we’re investing at the very start of that supply chain – ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality planting stock for years to come.”
Police are appealing for information after a man was seriously assaulted on Queensferry Street.
Around 11.40pm last night (Tuesday, 12 August, 2025), a 39-year-old man was seriously assaulted on Queensferry Street at the junction with Melville Street.
Emergency services attended and he was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
The suspects are described as white males. The first around 5ft 10in in height, of medium build with a bald head and dark clothing.
The second man is described as being around 5ft 10in in height, of medium build, with short dark hair and possibly wearing a red t-shirt.
It is understood they left in the direction of Randolph Place.
Detective Constable Gary Lipscombe said: “Our enquiries are ongoing and I am appealing for anyone with any information to contact us.
“We understand the area was busy with people at the time and I would ask anyone who witnessed the incident and who haven’t already spoken to police to get in touch.
“I would also appeal to anyone with dash cam or private CCTV footage to contact us.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 0003 of 13 August, 2025.
