Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has proposed a new Fans Fighting Fund to help keep football clubs afloat.
Douglas, who is also an assistant referee, is calling for the Scottish Government to match the money that fans raise to save their local teams, as many clubs warn that they will struggle to get through the next few months without funding support.
On Friday, Douglas held a discussion with 24 clubs across each of Scotland’s top divisions to hear about their concerns.
Douglas has previously held similar Roundtable Scotland events with teaching unions, drug recovery organisations and business groups.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said:“On Friday, I spoke with representatives of 24 clubs across Scotland to hear about the perilous state of the game. Clubs told me that they’re on the brink without paying punters in the stadium.
“I’ve taken away a range of issues from the meeting that I want to look at further but this initial suggestion could provide some immediate help.
“I’m proposing that we help clubs out, especially those smaller clubs embedded in communities, with a Fans Fighting Fund. I’d like to see the government commit to matching what fans raise to keep their clubs alive.
“The money from the UK Government is there. The SNP received £97 million to protect culture venues from the impact of Covid and haven’t spent at least £10 million of it. And we all know in Scotland that football is our culture, even more than comedy clubs or theatres.
“As long as clubs commit to paying the living wage and those who can chip in too, this is a fair deal to support football.”
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said:“Many clubs throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians are in real financial difficulty without any income from supporters.
“This initial proposal would go along way in keeping clubs afloat during what is going to be a very challenging season.
“SNP Ministers must take this proposal seriously to ensure that clubs throughout the region have a fighting change of making it to next season.”
The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) has released a Covid-19 poster resource pack for Men’s Sheds in Scotland.
The Association is still advising Men’s Sheds to remain closed in Phase 3 however, a recent SMSA poll – on the reopening of Sheds in Scotland – identified that 15% of the Sheds that responded are already open within the Scottish Government’s Guidelines for Phase 3.
The resource pack – currently containing 25 individual posters – will allow Sheds that are open to print off and prominently display the posters that they require for their Shed premises but also help those Sheds considering opening in the future to prepare in advance.
The SMSA is in ongoing discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the closure of Sheds and the health and safety of Shedders during the pandemic.
SMSA is currently working on the guidance (including risk assessments) for Sheds which will be issued at the appropriate time in line with Scottish Government guidance.
From online youth poetry events, to debut album recordings and digital presentations of visual art, the 173 funding awards – 113 of which to individuals (£1.4million) and 60 to organisations (£1.4million) – are supporting creative development across the breadth of Scotland, helping the creative and culture sector adapt and respond to current challenging circumstances.
Iain Munro, Chief Executive, Creative Scotlandsaid: “The Open Fund: Sustaining Creative Development is all about helping to ensure that Scotland’s creative workforce and organisations have opportunities to continue to develop creative practice in a challenging context.
“Thanks to £7.5million from National Lottery and the recently announced additional £3.5million boost from the Scottish Government, we’re able to support creative people who are addressing the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on their creative practice.
“People are thinking about new ways of working, how to reach audiences in different ways, taking creative risks or looking at ways to stabilise existing activity.
“Even in these challenging circumstances, these awards announced today are a positive reflection of Scotland’s resilient and innovative creative sector.”
An additional £3.5m funding from the Scottish Government was announced on Friday 28 August as part of £59million emergency funding for culture and heritage.
In addition, the threshold of funding that can be applied for will increase from £50,000 to £100,000 for individuals and organisations, from next week. Full details will be made available @CreativeScots / www.creativescotland.com, during w/c 5 Oct.
The fund has no deadlines, and full eligibility criteria and application guidance can be found on the Creative Scotland website.
A nationwide voluntary survey of education staff in schools or Early Learning & Childcare settings will help identify whether those tested are likely to have had coronavirus (COVID-19).
The COVID-19 Antibody Survey in education Staff (CASS), launched on Friday, will help identify the proportion of people working in an education setting in Scotland who have had coronavirus by testing for antibodies in their blood.
COVID-19 has had a huge impact on life in Scotland and understanding how many people have had the virus, particularly those working in an education setting doing a variety of roles, and how this changes over time will inform the measures taken to limit risk and strengthen the ongoing pandemic response.
Following the return to school, protecting the health of all staff working in and around schools is crucial to ensure their safety and wellbeing as well as minimising the disruption of children’s education – a vital component to their own health and wellbeing.
This survey will use home testing kits provided through the UK Government antibody testing programme, which commenced in September 2020. The timing of this study allows for monitoring and the ability to track changes over the school year while staff are in their normal work environment. As the test looks at past infection, it will identify whether those tested are likely to have had the virus in the school year to date.
From the test, we aim to learn whether someone has been infected in the past, and understand how this relates to their occupation, and the setting in which they work. All of which will be important to inform future decision-making for the protection of Scotland’s education staff, and pupils as a result.
The tests, however, will not influence the activities of individuals who take part. This is because an antibody test provides information about whether someone is likely to have had the coronavirus before, but it does not provide information about an individual’s immunity, or whether they can or cannot spread the virus to other people.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This new survey, part of the schools surveillance led by Public Health Scotland, is an exciting opportunity to monitor COVID-19 antibodies in the education workforce.
“This will help us understand more about the virus within educational settings as well as understanding more about antibodies and any protection they may give. I would encourage teaching staff to sign up once they are invited to take part over the coming weeks. There is no need to do anything before you are contacted.”
Dr Diane Stockton, COVID-19 Social and System Recovery Lead said: “Scotland’s education staff are working tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of children so they can continue their education in the traditional school setting, spend time with their peers and get back to something more like normal.
“We recognise the impact the return to school has had on staff and the CASS study is intended to provide a more detailed look at this particular work setting and provide important surveillance for staff in the long-term.
“Any adult working in a school or Early Learning & Childcare setting in Scotland is eligible to sign up for the CASS study. What we learn from participants’ test results will support and strengthen Scotland’s response to COVID-19 and ensure school settings are as safe as they possibly can be for all.”
Cllr Gail Macgregor, COSLA Spokesperson for Resources said: “The Scottish Local Government workforce has and continues to play a vital role the response to COVID-19.
“Ensuring essential services can continue to be delivered safely is a critical part of supporting the health and wellbeing of everyone in our communities. The return to school has been a vital step in not only ensuring the education of children and young people is maintained, but also in strengthening their mental health and wellbeing.
“Doing so has been a whole workforce effort and it is therefore key that all employees who work in and around schools are encouraged to take part in the CASS survey.
“Whether you are a teacher, a pupil support assistant, a cleaner, janitor, caterer or any other of the many roles that keep our schools running, we need you to take part. Doing so will help ensure we know as much as possible about COVID-19 and that we can continue to protect you and everyone in our communities.”
The CASS study is part of a larger programme of enhanced surveillance in schools. People working in education and Early Learning Centres can expect to see communications from their employers and places of work with further information about participating in this study over the coming weeks.
Social service workers and the key role they have played in supporting some of Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens during COVID-19 have quite rightly been recognised as a vital part of the health and social care system.
Their prominence and recognition come at the same time as a significant milestone is reached in the regulation of social service workers, marking a 20-year journey towards a trusted, qualified and safe workforce.
Lorraine Gray, SSSC Chief Executive said: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the social care, social work and early years workforce into the public eye and shown that they are a professional, qualified and skilled workforce with parity alongside other similar roles, such as health.
‘The aspiration of the original legislation passed almost 20 years ago to protect people who use social services is coming to fruition with people in social care and early years joining social work to create a fully qualified, accountable workforce.
‘The stories we’ve heard from the sector about how they’ve coped in the most challenging circumstances are just awe inspiring and it’s these individuals who have helped services to continue delivering high quality care to the people who need it most.
‘What comes through most of all are the values and compassion of workers, many of whom could never imagine doing anything else, such is their commitment and dedication.
‘The Scottish Government’s independent review of adult social care is an opportunity to acknowledge those workers, giving them not only the recognition they deserve for the life changing work they do but also the opportunity to change the way society values their role.
‘Adult social care alone contributes more than £13bn each year to the Scottish economy, which is more than agriculture, forestry and fishing, so the economic importance of social services shouldn’t be overlooked either.’
Regulation of Care
The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 set a vision for a registered, qualified and professional social service workforce with Codes of Practice setting the behaviours and values every worker must work to.
It meant social service workers in a wide range of roles; from social workers to day care of children workers and care home workers to residential childcare workers; have to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
SSSC registration requires workers to hold, or be working towards, a relevant qualification for their role and work to the SSSC Codes of Practice.
A trusted, skilled and confident workforce
One in 13 people employed in Scotland work in social services.
The adult social care sector contributes £13.4bn a year to the economy.
The last group of workers the SSSC Register opened to was support workers in care at home and housing support in October 2017. Some 61,920 of them were registered by the deadline of 30 September 2020.
There are 166,282 people on the SSSC Register working in a range of roles.
This represents 80% of the total social service workforce in Scotland, as not all roles require to register, for example directly employed personal assistants.
Hospitality Group Warns of House Party Boom if Lockdown Tightened
A group of Scotland’s most successful restaurant and bar operators have pleaded with customers to stay away from house parties this weekend, after Scotland’s National Clinical Director highlighted household mixing was a major driver of the upsurge in Covid infections.
The Scottish Hospitality Group, whose members employ over 6,000 people, has also warned that any further tightening of lockdown in the sector will drive a boom in illegal gatherings in homes across the country and will force many pubs, restaurants and hotels to close their doors permanently.
SHG spokesman Stephen Montgomery, who runs two successful hotels in Dumfries, said: “Professor Jason Leitch was spot-on when he identified household mixing as the major cause of increased infections.
“Unlike in bars and restaurants, where there is track and trace, social distancing, PPE and strict hygiene rules, if you go to a house party this weekend, you’re just playing Covid Russian Roulette.
“We’re urging people to follow the official advice not to take the huge risk of socialising at home, and to do so safely in Scotland’s bars and restaurants, where they can be sure that all possible precautions have been taken to look after them properly.
“Scotland’s bars and restaurants are a vital part of the fight against the spread of Covid. If we are locked down or the restrictions on us are tightened, it will simply drive more people to socialise at home, with the inevitable increases in Covid that will follow.”
Kenny Blair, founder of Buzzworks, which operates 12 venues in Ayrshire, said: “Publicans and restaurateurs have followed Scottish Government guidance to the letter. We are a vital part of the solution to combatting Covid.
“We’re the only safe place people can socialise, and the figures from SHG members – over 1.8million customers served since July, with only 17 confirmed cases – show that the Government’s own measures are working really effectively.
“However, the clear feedback we are getting from many in our industry right across the country is that they are only just managing to stay afloat. If we have further restrictions imposed or, God forbid, another lockdown, it will be Armageddon for a sector which employs more young Scots people than any other.”
The Scottish Hospitality Group comprises many of the country’s largest and best-known restaurant and bar businesses, including The DRG Group, Buzzworks Holdings, Signature Pubs, Montpeliers, Manorview Group, Lisini Pub Co, Caledonia Inns, G1 Group, Siberia Bar & Hotel, Mor-Rioghain Group, and Caledonian Heritable.
People who have been hospitalised with coronavirus (COVID-19) will have access to a new national peer support network to help their recovery and rehabilitation.
Backed by almost £200,000 Scottish Government funding, the charity ICU Steps will connect ICU survivors and their families across Scotland to facilitate patient-led support groups, as well as offering a range of wellbeing resources to help with recovery.
It follows the publication of a report showing up to one-third of patients admitted to hospital developed serious mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and cognitive problems.
In addition to the expansion of peer support, the report, produced by psychiatrist Dr Nadine Cossette, made a number of other recommendations which will be taken forward, through consultation with health boards. These include a network of mental health clinicians across Scotland, and a personalised digital platform.
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey (above) said: “We know that treatment in Intensive Care and High Dependency Units can be particularly difficult for patients. This has been exacerbated in recent times by the fact that families have not been able to visit their loved ones.
“Most will go on to make a full recovery, but for others there is a higher risk of developing mental health issues.
“We welcome the report by Dr Nadine Cossette which sets out a number of actions to improve mental health and wellbeing of patients. The creation of a national peer support network, led by patients, will be a significant first step to ensuring that services supporting those who have been affected are well placed to respond.
“We will now consult with health boards on how best to implement these proposals locally to ensure that people have the right support throughout their recovery from COVID-19.”
Dr Nadine Cossette said: “Mental health care is crucially important to patients recovering from COVID-19. I am pleased the Scottish Government has recognised this and I look forward to ensuring patients and families across Scotland have access to good mental health care that is well integrated with physical health recovery services.”
Chair of ICU Steps George Guy said: “As an ICU survivor myself I am well aware of the physical and mental problems that patients can be left with. ICU Steps gives survivors the chance to talk to others who have gone through what they have and we have found this to be very helpful.
“We offer empathy not sympathy. I’d like to thank Dr Pam Ramsay of Dundee University, Dr Stephen Cole NHS Tayside and Chair of Scottish Intensive Care Society, and Peter Gibb, CEO and founder of ICU Steps, for their invaluable help with this project.”
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Friday 2 October):
Good afternoon everybody, thanks for joining us. As usual I will give a report of the COVID-19 statistics for today.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 775. That’s 12.6% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases now to 30,687.
324 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 164 in Lothian, and 102 in Lanarkshire. There will be a meeting today of the National Incident Management Team and they will be taking a look obviously at a range of issues but in particular at the current situation in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.
The remaining 185 cases were spread across 9 other health board areas.
I can also report that 175 people are in hospital – which is an increase of 21 from yesterday and 19 people are in intensive care, that’s 2 more than yesterday.
I also regret to report that 4 deaths have been registered of people who had first tested positive for Covid during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths under that daily measurement is now 2,526.
And again, I want to send my sincere condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one and of course that particularly includes those who have lost a loved one in the last few days.
Obviously these numbers today, not just of cases, but perhaps more particularly hospital admissions, numbers in intensive care and the numbers of people dying, really should remind us that this resurgence of Covid is something we have to take very seriously.
Now, I’ve got several issues I want to briefly update on today.
Firstly, as I often do on a Friday, I want to draw your attention to an announcement made last night.
The Scottish Government has now added Poland and Turkey to the list of those countries subject to quarantine restrictions.
We have also added the three islands of the Caribbean Netherlands – Bonaire, Saba and Staysha.
That means from 4am tomorrow, people travelling to Scotland from these places must self-isolate for 14 days, upon their return.
Madeira and the Azores will be removed from the list of places which are subject to quarantine restrictions. However, if you have arrived from those places in the past two weeks – or if you arrive later today or tonight – you will still have to self-isolate for 14 days.
These changes are yet another reminder that levels of the virus – in any country or any area – can change quite rapidly. And when they change, our quarantine rules often change as well.
So please – and this is especially important as we approach the October holidays – think carefully right now about any unnecessary travel.
In fact, if possible, avoid unnecessary overseas travel. And remember that the fact that a country is exempt from quarantine requirements when you go there, does not necessarily mean that it will still be exempt when you come back.
The second update relates to the Protect Scotland app.
I’ve said before that the app is not a magic solution – it doesn’t replace the need for the hard work being done by our test and protect teams.
But it is a really important additional tool in tackling Covid, and it is already proving its worth.
More than 1.3 million people have downloaded the app. In the past three weeks, more than a third of the people who have tested positive have been app users. And during that time, more than 2,000 contacts have been advised to self-isolate through the app. And these are people who might not otherwise have been identified.
However there are three points that I want to stress which might make the app more useful.
The first applies to everybody who currently has it.
If you test positive for Covid, you will receive a code which you are then meant to enter into the app. Please make sure that you do that, because it is necessary for you to do that for the app then to automatically notify people you have been in close contact with.
Now that might sound very basic and obvious, but we know that at the moment not everyone who has the app, and who receives a positive test result, is actually doing that.
Now, enough people are doing it for the app to be making a difference – but it would obviously be better if everyone entered the code when they test positive. So please remember to do that.
The second point is that we issued an update to the app this week which some people may wish to take advantage of. It allows the app to be paused, without Bluetooth being disabled in your phone.
Now, let me stress first of all, that I don’t want people to pause the app when you are going about your day to day activities – because that would remove the point of having it.
But this is a feature that is especially useful for some groups of people, in particular perhaps, clinical staff in jobs that often involve being within 2 metres of other people, but where significant measures are in place to reduce the risk of infection – for example wearing medical grade protective equipment.
We are also looking at other improvements that can be made to the app. For example we are working really hard just now with NHS England and the NHS in Northern Ireland on linking up Protect Scotland with the apps in those countries, to support people who travel, to make these different apps interoperable.
We are also looking at whether the age limit for use of the app can change – right now you have to be over 16 and we’re looking to see whether it will be possible to reduce that in the future.
The final point I want to stress is that if you haven’t downloaded the app yet, and you are able to do so, please do it.
It takes less than 2 minutes. Your data is kept entirely secure and anonymous. And it is a simple but it is a really powerful and important way in which we can all play our part in the struggle against Covid.
Lastly, today, I want to stress again how important it is that all of us self-isolate when we are asked to do so.
Obviously I can’t do that today without first addressing the issue of Margaret Ferrier (above) – the SNP MP who travelled by train to London and attended the House of Commons after taking a test when she should have been self-isolating – and who then travelled back to Scotland by train after being told that her test was positive.
Margaret is a friend of mind, so everything I am about to say is obviously with the heaviest of hearts. And of course, I wish her a speedy recovery from Covid.
But none of that changes the fact that her actions were reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible, and I feel very angry on behalf of all you.
Every single day I stand here and I ask you to make horrendous sacrifices as part of our collective efforts against Covid.
It’s really important, whether you agree with me or not, whether you love me or loathe me, that you can have confidence in the advice that I give you.
That means me being clear that the rules apply to everyone – regardless of who you are and regardless of what your political allegiance is.
Trust me, it’s one of the easiest things in the world in politics to call for tough consequences when one of your opponents breaks the rules. That’s not hard for any of us.
The litmus test though is whether you’re prepared to do the same when it’s one of your own breaking the rules. And in these abnormal times, when everybody has been asked to difficult things, I think that is more important than ever.
That’s why the SNP whip has been withdrawn from Margaret – and that is the most serious sanction a party can impose on an elected representative. I have also spoken to her directly and made crystal clear to her that I think she should now resign as an MP.
Now, people contact me and say, why don’t you just sack her? This is a point I have to make clear – I don’t have the power to force an MP to step down – no party leader has that power.
But I can make my views known, difficult though it is and I have done so and I hope she will come to the right decision, in the interests of the overall integrity of these vital public health messages.
And I want to emphasise again why it is so important to self-isolate.
We are launching a media campaign actually this evening – which has been planned for several days – to stress the importance of self-isolation.
Essentially, if you have any one of the symptoms of Covid, you should start to self-isolate immediately, and you should book a test. You can do that through the NHS Inform website.
The symptoms, as a reminder, are a new continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss of – or change in – your sense of taste or smell.
When you get your test result, if you test negative, and don’t have Covid, you can stop self-isolating at that point.
However if you have Covid, you need to self-isolate for a further 10 days, starting from the day on which you took your test.
If you are identified as a contact of someone with Covid – either by a test and protect team, or by the app – then you must self-isolate for 14 days.
You need to self-isolate for longer than someone who has tested positive. That’s because if you get Covid, your infectious period will start a few days after the infectious period of the person you got it from.
And the key point I want to stress today – for obvious reasons – is that self-isolation is not something anybody can or should see as an option, as something that is voluntary.
If you develop symptoms, or if you are identified as a contact, you must self-isolate immediately. Don’t think you can go to the shops one last time – let alone travelling any longer distances.
And you must self-isolate completely – that means staying at home, and not going anywhere else.
The reason is simple. If you have been in touch with someone who has Covid during their infectious period, there is a chance that you will also have Covid, even if you don’t yet have symptoms. And self-isolation is one of the most important things we can all do to ensure that we are not, unwittingly sometimes, transmitting the virus to anyone else.
So this is essential. It is a tough thing for any of us to be asked to do but it is an essential thing that all of us must abide by.
And if we are asked to do it – no matter who we are, and no matter what our circumstances are – we should all do it.
It is inconvenient, it is tough particularly for those on low incomes who might lose money when asked to self-isolate, that is why we are introducing the £500 support payment.
And it is why we are working with local authorities to ensure there is practical help available to people for things like food deliveries, and details of all of that are available also on the NHS Inform website.
But the reason we provide help for people to do the right thing, is because right now doing the right thing for all of us is so important.
So please, please – self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms of Covid. And self-isolate for 14 days if you are identified as a contact. It is vital to our collective efforts against the virus.
Now, I have stressed that particular point today, I was always going to be stressing that point today but it has particular added resonance given the circumstances I have already alluded to. But before I finish, and hand over to Jason I also want to provide the usual reminder of the other key public health guidance that we are asking everybody to follow.
None of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now – except for very specific purposes such as childcare or caring for a vulnerable adult.
When we do meet with others – outdoors, or in indoor public places – the maximum group size allowed is 6, and those 6 people should not come from any more than two households.
We should avoid car-sharing if it is possible.
Work from home if we can.
Download the Protect Scotland app, as I’ve already talked about.
And finally, all of us should remember FACTS –
Face coverings
Avoid crowded places.
Clean hands and hard surfaces
keep a Two metres distance from other households.
and of course Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.
I know I say this every day but I feel a particular responsibility to say it today. I know how hard it for everybody to follow these rules right now, and I know how angry people feel when they see others not following these rules, but we have been asked to stick with all of these rules for the collective wellbeing of the country and for each and every one of us – so please do that.
Do that for yourselves, your families, your loved ones and for your community as a whole.And my thanks, my deep and sincere thanks, to everybody who is making really tough sacrifices right now in the interests of that collective effort.
Over the past five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carnegie UK Trust has been undertaking a series of conversations with communities across the UK, exploring the changing relationship between local government, public services and communities.
Throughout these conversations, we’ve heard from several areas that community hubs were a critical part of the emergency response.
In many cases, these demonstrated strong leadership, creative practice and partnership working. The Trust believes that these hubs could have a longer-term role in recovery from the pandemic, joining the dots between people that require support and connecting them to a range of services to promote individual and community wellbeing.
Building on the learning from four areas, (North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lancaster and Scarborough), our new report offers examples of best practice, challenges, opportunities and learning for the future. We hope that these examples will inspire change.
North Ayrshire: A case study on kindness
On the same day, we are also releasing a report that tells the story of our two-year partnership with North Ayrshire Council.
This ‘case study on kindness’ shares the activities, achievements and learning about what it takes to embed kindness across a local authority area, and finishes with five priorities that we hope will feel relevant and urgent for local government and its partner organisations everywhere.
I do hope that you find these reports helpful.
To let us know your thoughts, please email Pippa@CarnegieUK.org or join the debate online by tagging @CarnegieUKTrust #COVIDConversations – we would be pleased to hear from you.
The financial impact of the lockdown imposed at the end of March has been revealed in new research of UK adults by credit reference agency Equifax. The study found that 40% people living in the Scotland feel worse off financially due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Figures suggest this could be a consequence of the fact that 38% of people living in Scotland reported they took home a reduced salary during lockdown, compared to 37% nationally, with 1 in 5 people believing they will be made redundant when furlough ends.
43% of people in Scotland believe it will take up to 12 months to recover financially compared to 36% nationally
1 in 10 of those living in Scotland are behind on regular payments for which they don’t have payment holidays
52% of people in Scotland continued saving during lockdown and 44% saved more than pre-lockdown.
Lisa Hardstaff, credit information expert at Equifax, commented: “For those on furlough, the fear of redundancy once the scheme comes to an end is very real. And even for those who don’t believe they will be made redundant; nearly a third of people living in Scotland believe their employer will ask them to reduce their salary in the immediate future once they return to work.
“Everyone has been affected differently during this crisis. National figures show that more than half (52%) said they were able to put aside more money into their savings compared with pre-lockdown.
“And nearly a quarter (24%) said they actually feel better off. However, in contrast, 18% admitted they were behind on regular payments for which they don’t have a ‘payment holiday’ in place
“Expenditure on outgoings has changed since lockdown; nearly half of those surveyed that live in the Scotland spent more each week on their food bill and 43% spent more on gas and electricity. As the work from home culture continues it’s likely these additional costs will remain, even though, not surprisingly 66% said they spent less on travel.
“With areas of the country in localised lockdowns and a second COVID-19 wave predicted in the Autumn, recovering from the financial impact of COVID-19 could be prolonged.
“National figures also show that over a third (36%) believe it will take them up to 12 months to recover and 31% said they think it will take between 13 to 24 months to get back on a solid financial footing. Now more than ever, therefore, it’s vital to have a really good understanding of financial incomings and outgoings.”
With uncertain times ahead Equifax has created an online budget planner that allows people to monitor their income against their outgoings, to help them take control of their finances now and in the future.
Lisa Hardstaff concluded: “A financial planner not only helps manage outgoings each month, it allows people to prioritise important financial commitments like mortgage payments, council tax, etc.
“It can also help to see where money can be saved, such as unused memberships or cutting back on food bills.”
