Summer Holidays – but not for all …

Can’t afford to get away on holiday this summer? You’re not alone – it’s a Europe-wide issue, as EC economic analyst M. Vaalavuo explains ...

Schools are closed, summer holidays are here, and also this blog is having its well-deserved summer break. Like many of you, authors of Evidence in Focus are leaving their desks to travel in Europe and beyond. However, without wanting to spoil your holidays, this may be a good time to recall that 39 per cent of Europeans cannot afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home.

This is a form of deprivation that is taken into account in the calculation of the EU’s indicator of the risk of poverty and social exclusion (AROPE) which counts people who face

monetary poverty (discussed already in several blog posts e.g. comparing the situation of young and old Europeans and looking at parental employment and child poverty), and/or
low work intensity, and/or
severe material deprivation.

The last one is an absolute measure of living standards that complements the measure of relative monetary poverty (people with disposable income below 60 % of the country’s median income). The EU severe material deprivation rate is currently defined as the share of the population living in households that cannot afford at least four out of nine items. 8.9 per cent of the EU population were in this situation in 2014.

One week annual holiday away from home is one of these nine items. Other items are for example the capacity to face unexpected financial expenses, to afford a washing machine or a car, and the ability to avoid arrears in mortgage or rent payments. The most prevalent forms of deprivation concern holidays and the capacity to cope with unexpected expenses.

Across countries, there is a huge variation in the share of people who cannot afford holidays away from home (see chart). In the Nordic countries, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria, fewer than 20 per cent of the population are deprived of an annual holiday in 2014, while in Hungary, Croatia and Romania this concerns more than 60 per cent.

Not surprisingly, people who are at risk of monetary poverty are also most likely to be deprived of holidays away from home: 70 per cent of them cannot afford holidays. But even among those who are not poor in monetary terms, a third is deprived of holidays away from home.

However, the situation is improving in many countries. Since 2008, the share of people not affording holidays away from home has decreased in 15 EU Member States: especially in Poland (11 pp.), Malta (10 pp.), Portugal (9 pp.), Austria (9 pp.), and Bulgaria (9 pp.). Furthermore, after an initial increase in the share from 2008 to 2010 in the Baltic countries, the share has since then fallen in Lithuania by 20, in Latvia by 18 and in Estonia by 16 percentage points. This development can be considered a real improvement in living conditions of these people, but it still leaves us many to be worried about.

After the holdidays … Evidence in Focus will be back in September. We wish you a great summer!

Author M. Vaalavuo is a socio-economic analyst in the unit of Thematic Analysis of DG EMPL

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

Editor’s note: this article is part of a regular series called “Evidence in focus“, which will put the spotlight on key findings from past and on-going research at DG EMPL

European Health Insurance Card

What is the European Health Insurance Card?

A free card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.

Cards are issued by your national health insurance provider.

Important – the European Health Insurance Card:

is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose ofobtaining medical treatment,
does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.

Please note: when you move your habitual residence to another country, you should register with the S1 form instead of using the EHIC to receive medical care in your new country of habitual residence.

Tune in: Four year package to support and enhance youth orchestras

The Scottish Government will award £2.5 million to support Sistema Scotland to transform the lives of thousands of children and young people in disadvantaged communities, Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced last week. Continue reading Tune in: Four year package to support and enhance youth orchestras

The disgrace of multi-deprivation in one of the richest and most civilised countries in world

Senscot

Source: The disgrace of multi-deprivation in one of the richest and most civilised countries in world

This article by Kevin McKenna first appeared in Herald Scotland on 9 January and is reproduced in Senscot news bulletin today

Hungry for books

Donate books for children at Broughton High School

Donating children’s books to be distributed in the run up to Christmas is the latest phase of the City of Edinburgh Council’s pioneering child poverty campaign.

The ‘Hungry for Books’ challenge is part of the council’s ‘1 in 5: Raising Awareness of Child Poverty in Edinburgh’ campaign currently running in five primaries and one secondary school.

The purpose of the initiative, taking place during Book Week Scotland, is to highlight links between child poverty and low literacy.

The public are being encouraged to donate high/good quality children’s books this week (up to Friday 27 November) which the pupils will then ensure go to food banks or other relevant organisations in time for Christmas.

Each school will be a hub for donation of books in different areas of the city – Broughton High School (north), Royal High Primary School (east), Sciennes Primary School (central), Gracemount Primary School (south), Dalry Primary School (west) and Hillwood Primary School (south west).

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: “The ‘Hungry for Books’ challenge is a positive way of trying to help more children living in poverty access the type of books other children enjoy. It is well-documented that children from poorer backgrounds lag behind at all stages of education so it’s important we do all we can to close the attainment gap.

“Donating books for children to read, both on their own and with their parents, is a positive way for the public to play their part in achieving this.

“The Council will continue the great work of our ‘1 in 5’ campaign to ensure every child in Edinburgh is given every opportunity to have the best possible start in life.”

Dalry Primary School Head Teacher, Grant Gillies, said: “The ‘1 in 5’ project has had a significant impact on the life of our school and the decisions we make because the children and families in our school community face real challenges. It is our job to equip them with the skills and aspirations to overcome these.

“More than that though, as a school we have social responsibility to ensure opportunities are for all and they are inclusive. That’s why pupils are very excited about being part of this Hungry for Books Challenge.

“Another good example of the impact of raising awareness within our school project is when we planned for our whole community outing at Christmas. We spoke about the way we charged for it in the past and this year we have a price structure that means bigger families pay less. It is these small things that make a difference.

“Small changes in our approaches make for big changes in our children’s lives.”

The ‘1 in 5’ project aims to raise awareness of the impact of child poverty and identify best practice and changes that can be introduced to make school more affordable for families on low incomes. The project involves working with children, staff and parents to challenge the stigma that affects children living in poverty.

Last week a poster competition was launched at Hillwood Primary School where pupils took part in creative art workshops led by artist Heather Lucchesi to design images which highlight some of the issues faced by children whose families live on or below the poverty line.

Winning images will be incorporated into a poster to be distributed to primary schools across the city along with guidelines for schools on how best to support families living on low incomes including actions to reduce the costs associated with school such as school uniform, trips and resources.

Councillors on the Education, Children and Families Committee heard last monththat just over 21% of children in Edinburgh live in poverty and this figure is forecast to increase significantly by 2020.

Every area of the city is affected with each Council ward having child poverty rates of over 10%. It’s estimated that the cost of delivering services to address the impact in the Capital is around £156m a year according to the which outlined various actions being taken by the Council to lessen the impact. Key areas identified include:

Developing more flexible and affordable good quality childcare to meet the needs of families on low incomes
Improving attendance at schools and early years establishments, and the attainment and achievement of young people
Reducing the attainment gap between lowest achieving pupils and their peers across the city
Identifying and developing more safe places to play

Other actions include increase breakfast club provision and further develop family engagement with a focus on strong home-school partnerships.

The report also highlights the importance of income maximisation to raising attainment. Research has shown that the level of household income plays a major role in attainment levels with more initiatives needed to increase wages, encourage take up of unclaimed benefits and other finance-related poverty costs.

Closing the gap: city council to focus on child poverty

Edinburgh is one of the richest and most successful cities in the UK and regularly appears high on the list of most desirable places to live – and yet one in every five of our children are growing up in poverty. And in areas like Forth, Craigmillar and Wester Hailes the plight of children is even worse – there, the figures are one on four as families face the daily challenge of trying to make ends meet.

Despite the efforts of successive governments – and because of the legislation introduced by some of them – the gap between rich and poor continues to grow, and tackling child poverty is the focus of a new awareness drive being spearheaded by the City of Edinburgh Council.

A report going to the Education, Children and Families Committee next week (Tuesday 6 October) shows that just over 21% of children in Edinburgh live in poverty and this figure is forecast to increase significantly by 2020.

Every area of the city is affected with each Council ward having child poverty rates of over 10% and it’s estimated that the cost of delivering services to address the impact in the Capital is around £156m a year.

Next week’s Child Poverty report outlines various actions being taken by the Council to lessen the impact.

Key areas identified include:

*Developing more flexible and affordable good quality childcare to meet the needs of families on low incomes

*Improving attendance at schools and early years establishments, and the attainment and achievement of young people

*Reducing the attainment gap between lowest achieving pupils and their peers across the city

*Identifying and developing more safe places to play

Other actions include increasing breakfast club provision, working in partnership with food banks to better understand why families in poverty are using their services and further developing family engagement with a focus on strong home-school partnerships.

A major school project – the ‘1 in 5: Raising Awareness of Child Poverty in Edinburgh’ – has already started in five primaries and one secondary school. It aims to identify best practice and changes that can be introduced to make school more affordable for families on low incomes. The project involves working with children, staff and parents to challenge the stigma that affects children living in poverty.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: “Child poverty matters to us all as it damages childhoods, damages life chances and damages society as a whole. Children from poorer backgrounds lag behind at all stages of education so it’s important we do all we can to close the attainment gap.

“We have developed a range of actions to challenge and mitigate the impact of child poverty in the Capital and will continue to work closely with our partner agencies to ensure everything is done to ensure children given every opportunity to have the best possible start in life.”

Alison Noble, Head Teacher at Sciennes Primary School, is one of the schools taking ‘1 in 5: Raising Awareness of Child Poverty in Edinburgh’ project.

She said: “This project provides a valuable opportunity for Sciennes to make a difference and ensure the outcomes for our children are not undermined by poverty and inequality. By taking part we can focus our efforts on addressing the barriers that exist within our community and help us to begin to fulfil one of the objectives in the Scottish Attainment Challenge – to close the attainment gap and provide every child with the same opportunity to succeed.

“Our ward includes an area of multiple deprivation so raising awareness of the issues surrounding poverty may contribute to our children making a positive contribution to the school, local and wider community.”

First Eleven: legacy cash to get communities active

Eleven projects that encourage some of Scotland’s least active people to become more active have been awarded grants as part of the legacy of the Commonwealth Games. Edinburgh Leisure is among the recipients and the organisation will use it’s share to support older people living in poorer areas to get more active.

The projects, spread throughout Scotland, work with groups who are most at risk of inactivity, and use physical activity to improve health, wellbeing and social cohesion.

The Legacy 2014 Physical Activity Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Spirit of 2012. Spirit was a partner of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and was chosen by the Scottish Government to create a sustainable physical activity programme to support the objectives of getting the least active people in Scotland more active.

Physical activity improves physical fitness and mental wellbeing, and can help to empower disabled people, connect generations, bring communities together and reduce isolation.

The eleven project, who each received grants up to £70,000, are as follows:

• Dumfries & Galloway Council: training programme for staff and volunteers to help older and/or vulnerable adults get active in all the area’s care homes as well as day care settings.
• North Ayrshire Leisure: supporting people with mental health issues to become more active through condition specific classes such as yoga and tai chi
• NHS Highland: using dance and walking to increase activity levels among the least active in the Highlands, including young people, women, older people, disabled people and those with long-term conditions
• Midlothian Council: bringing together two projects that use intergenerational volunteering to promote wellbeing; younger people coming into care homes to help older people become more active.
• Fife Sports and Leisure Trust: walking and GP referral programme for people with mental health issues and those with dementia
• Leisure & Culture Dundee: bringing ante natal women and their families in Dundee together through swimming to be active, have fun and improve their wellbeing and resilience
• Stirling Council: offering an extended buggy walks programme for parents, as well as, strength and balance classes and jogging for older people. The focus of all these activities is the most disadvantaged communities
• Cairngorms National Park: This project offers health walks in Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Moray, and targets people with long term conditions, women and older people
• Changes Community Health Project: walking, cycling and other healthy recreational activities will benefit people with mental health conditions
• Drumchapel Sport: the new funding will extend their existing highly respected programme of sport used to unite the community and improve wellbeing, working with children and young people, women and girls
• Edinburgh Leisure: support people over the age of 45 living in areas of multiple deprivation to become more active.

Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: “I’d like to congratulate all of these projects on their successful applications to the Legacy 2014 Physical Activity Fund. They are all working to promote physical activity in their communities, concentrating on some of the groups that are most at risk of inactivity, and giving them the confidence to change their lifestyles.

“This fund is one of the ways we are securing the legacy of the Commonwealth Games, encouraging people to live more active lives. Physical inactivity leads to 2,500 premature deaths in Scotland every year. It’s linked to a host of health problems including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and depression. If we can encourage people to make even small changes to their lives we can make a big difference to Scotland’s health.”

Dugald Mackie, Chairman of Spirit of 2012 said: “Our aim is see personal and community wellbeing increase and to see a positive change in the perception of disability. I’m delighted that we’ll be supporting so many projects that work with disabled people (including those suffering from mental ill health). In the current climate it’s vital that public investment delivers results, and so we are committed to collaborating closely with the Scottish Government and the 11 local partners to discover what works and what we could do better.”

Debbie Lye, Chief Executive of Spirit said: “Our ultimate ambition is to use the learning from this pioneering Scottish initiative to inform the way we and others tackle the UK wide imperative of increasing levels of physical activity.

“Spirit will host a conference in January 2017 where all partners will bring together research and findings from the projects. This will be a key step in making Scottish physical opportunities more effective, engaging and efficient.”

Creating a fairer Scotland: local opportunities to have your say!

Pilton Community Health Project to hold discussion events

Pilton Community Health Project is to hold two local sessions to give North Edinburgh residents the opportunity to discuss Scotland’s future – and things we can do to help shape that future.

The events are part of the Scottish Government’s live consultation on creating a fairer Scotland, and the two sessions have been planned to ensure that as many people as possible will be able to participate.

The first discussion will take place on Thursday 15 October from 7 – 9pm in Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre, while the second event will be held during the day – on Thursday 22 October from 10 – 11.30am at Pilton Community Health Project on Boswall Parkway.

PCHP Anita Aggarwal explained: “The Scottish Government want to know what we think would make Scotland Fairer and Healthier. Like many other organisations in the area we want to hear what you have to say so we can pass it on to them. To this end we are organising two discussion sessions.

“The first will take place at Muirhouse Community Centre on Thursday 15th October from 7 till 9 pm. There are free refreshments.

“The second takes place at Pilton Community Health Project on Thursday 22nd October from 10 – 11.30. There is a free creche but your MUST book a place in advance by calling me on 0131 551 1671 – that’s also the number to call if you want more information on the events.”

You will also find facebook events and info on PCHP’s website http://pchp.org.uk/news/2015/fairer-scotland

The Scottish Government is particularly keen that as many people as possible take part in the national discussion, as can be read below:

What are the issues that matter most to you?
What do you think needs to be done to create a fairer Scotland?
How can you and your community play a role in helping to shape our future?

Scotland is a great country to call home. But we can make it an even better place. Achieving this will require a strong competitive economy and a fairer, more equal society. The two go hand in hand.

Right now people across Scotland are working to that end. But we believe that together we can do even more to secure better opportunities for all of us and for future generations.

To get there, more of us need to join the conversation that is already happening about the kind of Scotland we want to see in the future. We hope this leaflet (see below), and the discussion that follows, will help to do that. It describes some of the successes and challenges in Scotland today and a few ideas about what a fairer Scotland could look like. We want you to share your ideas as well, to tell us what matters to you.

By the end of 2015 we want to have created opportunities for the widest possible range of voices to be heard. This will include a series of events in the autumn that brings together people from across the country to discuss what practical steps we need to take to create a fairer Scotland.

The Scottish Government will respond to these ideas, and the wider conversation, setting out what we will do to help create a better Scotland. We hope others will do the same.

So go on, it’s our Scotland: it’s time to have your say on our future!

fairer scotland leaflet

If you want more information about what the Scottish Government are doing look at these links:

fairer.scot

healthier.scot

Cast Adrift

New definition hides true extent of child poverty

Around 120,000 children will be ‘cast adrift’ if the UK Government changes its definition of child poverty, Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil has said.

In a letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mr Neil urged the UK Government to focus on tackling the root causes of child poverty instead of redefining the way it is measured.

Proposals set out in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill would mean the UK Government would no longer be required to take action to reduce the number of people living on low incomes. Instead, the focus would move to ‘worklessness’ and ‘educational attainment’, ignoring the increasing problem of in-work poverty which affects 120,000 children in Scotland.

UK Government figures, released in June, showed an increase in the number of children living in poverty to 3.71 million after housing costs were taken into account. Of this total 65 per cent of the children were from families where at least one parent was working. This highlights the fact that progress in reducing child poverty, and improving the chances for all children, will be difficult without improvements to the living standards of working families. However these figures will not be taken into account if the Bill is passed.

Mr Neil said: “By changing the definition of child poverty the UK Government is hiding the true extent of the problem and casting adrift the 120,000 Scottish children whose parents are working on low incomes and struggling to pay their bills.

“The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions must rethink these flawed plans. They will only gloss over the impact of the UK Government’s austerity agenda and fail to show the shocking reality of its inexcusable attack on low-paid families.

“The Scottish Government will continue to measure and report on the wide range of factors that drive child poverty including income, educational attainment and health outcomes. Our sophisticated measurement framework was developed with experts and leading children’s organisations and is helping us to understand the full scale of the problem and find the most effective ways to address it.

“Around 210,000 children are living in relative poverty after housing costs are paid, but these numbers are likely to soar in coming years because of cuts to social security. Reforms to tax credits alone will reduce the incomes of between 200,000 and 250,000 households in Scotland, with families facing almost £700 million of cuts.

“We recognise that any serious attempt to tackle inequality has to focus on in-work poverty, which remains very high. That’s why we are calling for powers over the minimum wage, employment policy and working-age benefits to be devolved to Scotland.

“We have invested £296 million in welfare measures and around £329 million over two years to expand free early learning and childcare, including extra provision for disadvantaged children, while our work to encourage employers to pay the Living Wage is also helping to increase income levels in Scotland. We have appointed our first Independent Adviser on Poverty and Inequality who will be looking at what more we can do to address inequalities.”

Pregnancies and Parenthood in Young People

Link between deprivation and teenage pregnancies – Scottish government consultation launched

The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation on its draft National Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy.

Teenage pregnancy rates in Scotland have continued to fall in 2013, to the lowest levels on record. Overall, the rates have declined since 2007 across under 16, under 18 and under 20 age groups.

The teenage pregnancy rate for under 20s has dropped from 57.7 per 1,000 population in 2007 to 37.7 per 1,000 population in 2013 – a decrease of around 35 per cent.

In mainland NHS Boards, NHS Grampian recorded the lowest rate in the under 20 age group while NHS Fife recorded the highest.

Despite this decrease in rates, there continues to be a strong link between deprivation and teenage pregnancy. In the under 20 age group, females living in the most deprived areas are nearly five times more likely to experience a pregnancy, and the rate of delivery is nearly 12 times higher than someone living in one of the least deprived areas.

The latest statistics are published as the Scottish Government launches a public consultation on its draft National Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy. The draft strategy – the first of its kind in Scotland – aims to tackle the cycle of deprivation associated with many cases of pregnancy in young people, and provide extra support for young parents. It will look at the wider issues that lead to pregnancy in young people, as well as sexual health and relationships and therefore aim to give more choices and opportunities to young people and further support to young parents.

The draft Strategy looks to ensure that all agencies, not just the NHS, recognise the need to provide support to young people and young families. One of the proposed commitments is for a National Lead to provide strategic leadership in this area. The National Lead will engage with local and national organisations; ensure the consideration of up to date evidence and policy; monitor and react to progress; and enable sharing of experience and best practice across Scotland.

Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said: “I am pleased to see the rate of teenage pregnancy has continued to reduce for the sixth year, which is very encouraging alongside recent reductions in terminations of pregnancy.

“Reducing levels of pregnancy in young people will help to increase the choices, opportunities and wellbeing available to them throughout their lives. We must look not just at sexual health and relationships but also wider issues. Teenage pregnancy rates have been decreasing under this government, but we are determined to further decrease those rates and to close the inequality gap.

“I am disappointed that significant differences remain between those from deprived populations compared to more affluent populations.

“Our new draft strategy seeks to build on the reductions that we have seen over the last few years. We have engaged with key stakeholders and young people throughout its development and we will continue to engage with them throughout this consultation process to ensure we give young people in Scotland get the best start into adulthood.”

“The draft strategy emphasises the need for a holistic approach to tackling pregnancy in young people by considering wider factors that are key for supporting young people more widely, such as education, attainment and training and employment.

“It is essential that we continue to put the young person at the centre to help them achieve their potential both as individuals and where appropriate, as parents.”

The consultation on the Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy can be found here: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/07/3144

One Scot in eleven now living in poverty

Having a job is no guarantee of escape from poverty – half of children living in extreme poverty were in households where at least one adult was in full time employment

More than half a million people in Scotland are living in severe or extreme poverty , according to the latest data published today. Scotland’s poorest people lived on less than half the average income in 2012/13, according to a new government report.

Around 510,000 people, including 100,000 children and 80,000 pensioners, are living in severe poverty – households with an income under £11,500. A further 230,000 were classed as living in extreme poverty, which means the household had an income of lower than £9200.

A household is defined as living in relative poverty with an income below 60 per cent of the UK median income. Severe poverty is defined as living with an income lower than £11,500, or 50 per cent of UK median income, while extreme poverty is defined as lower than £9,200, 40 per cent of UK median income.

The scale of the country’s poverty levels has been exposed in the Scottish Government’s Severe Poverty in Scotland report, which shows working age adults and children are more likely to live in severe poverty than pensioners, particularly after housing costs.

Commenting on Severe Poverty in Scotland, Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil said: “It’s a disgrace that so many people live in such severe or extreme poverty, but it’s an unfortunate and inevitable result of the UK Government’s failed austerity agenda and welfare cuts that are slashing incomes for some of our poorest households.

“With employment increasing and unemployment down, Scotland is outperforming the rest of the UK, yet the statistics show that a job is no longer any guarantee against severe or extreme poverty.

“That’s why we opposed cutting in-work tax credits and why the Scottish Government and its agencies are paying the living wage, encouraging other employers to follow suit.

“We have put tackling poverty and inequality at the heart of Government, through policies like the council tax freeze, free prescriptions, expanding childcare provision, while we are mitigating the worst of the welfare cuts, by replacing income lost through the bedroom tax or council tax benefits cuts.

“That action is making a real difference and we will continue to make the argument for a fairer welfare system.”

The statistics also make clear that being in a job is not a guarantee against poverty. Being in employment does significantly reduce the risk of poverty, but 44% of working age adults in extreme poverty lived in households where at least one adult was in employment, as did 60% of children – half of children living in extreme poverty were in households where at least one adult was in full time employment.

In 2012/13, around 10% of working age adults and 10% of children were living in severe poverty, as were 8% of pensioners.

After housing costs, 16% of working age adults, 15% of children and 6% of pensioners in Scotland are living in severe poverty.

Over the last decade, while the rate of relative poverty has fallen, a greater proportion of households in poverty were in severe or extreme low income in 2012/13.