Deidre Brock MP paid tribute to the success of Leith’s Time Bank in the House of Commons on Tuesday (27th February).
The Edinburgh North and Leith MP led a debate on timebanking across the UK and called for extra support to help the movement grow.
Timebanking is based on a simple premise: for every hour you spend helping someone, you earn an hour back for your time bank. Rather than volunteering in the traditional sense, it is based on a reciprocal exchange of skills.
Run by respected Leith charity the Pilmeny Development Project, Leith’s Time Bank has been going for over a decade and is an amazing success story, providing opportunities for people of different ages, cultures and backgrounds to share their skills, knowledge and experience with others.
Members have described the time bank as a “lifeline”, boosting their mental health and wellbeing and creating opportunities to meet exchange skills and experiences with people from different generations, backgrounds and walks of life.
Deidre Brock said: “Timebanking deserves much more recognition, so I was delighted to raise the fantastic work of Leith’s Time Bank and the wider network during the debate.
“We all have skills, knowledge and experience to offer that could be beneficial to someone, whether it’s gardening, sewing, simple repairs, language teaching, running errands, tech skills, or whatever it might be.
“Timebanking is a great way for people to exchange expertise without any money changing hands, and it can have such a positive impact on community cohesion and tackling social isolation and loneliness.
“The minister was very complimentary about timebanking and I’ve secured a meeting with him to discuss the concept further. We’ve also had a lot of interest from people keen to learn more and even set up new timebanks in their own area.”
Puffins, Kittiwakes, Razorbills and other threatened seabirds have been thrown a lifeline, after decades of campaigning have finally succeeded in stopping industrial sandeel fishing in the English North Sea and in all Scottish waters.
The UK and Scottish Governments’ decisions to close sandeel fisheries in the English waters of the North Sea and all Scottish waters respectively, comes after more than 25 years of campaigning by the RSPB and others, which called out the practice as one of the contributors to seabird decline.
Many seabirds, including Puffins, rely on sandeels to feed their chicks. But climate change and over-fishing have vastly depleted sandeel populations, having a devastating knock-on effect on seabirds.
Last year’s seabird census found that more than half the seabird species breeding on British and Irish coasts have declined over the last 20 years. In Scotland, which is home to over half of UK seabirds, this figure rises to 70% of species in decline.
Shockingly, around one in four Puffins have been lost from across the UK since 2000. Both Puffins and Kittiwakes, which depend on sandeels for food, are threatened with global extinction and are Red-listed as birds of highest conservation concern.
Ending the industrial fishing of sandeels is just one necessary step in the effort to safeguard seabirds as they come under a barrage of existential pressures, including climate change, bird flu and poorly planned offshore marine development.
Last year, the UK Government ran a public consultation to close sandeel fishing in the English waters of the North Sea. The RSPB and tens of thousands of our supporters leapt into action, with more than 33,000 people from across the UK adding their voice to our campaign and responding to the consultation. 8,000 RSPB supporters also took to social media to tell their MPs how they felt. The consultation found overwhelmingly in favour of a closure of sandeel fisheries with 95.5% in agreement.
The Scottish Government also ran a consultation proposing to end sandeel fishing across all Scottish waters. Together, with over 11,000 RSPB supporters, we responded in favour of ending industrial sandeel trawling in Scottish waters. The consultation reported almost unanimous support for the move, with 97% in favour across individuals and organisations.
Welcoming the announcement, RSPB Chief Executive Beccy Speight said: “Answering the RSPB’s call to end industrial sandeel fishing, today’s announcements are a vital lifeline from the UK and Scottish Governments for our seabirds in our waters when they need it most.
“The UK is home to globally important seabird colonies, but these populations are in decline with their resilience being pushed to the limit, with these much-loved birds at the forefront of the nature and climate emergency.
“To support the recovery of our seabirds, the RSPB has long recommended an end to industrial sandeel fishing in UK waters to secure vital food sources for these amazing birds.
“It’s a call that was backed by tens of thousands of our members and supporters, and demonstrates the huge public support for actions that drive nature’s recovery. Halting wildlife decline and putting nature on the path to recovery must be supported by a programme of government action and there is clear public support for doing so.”
Responding to the ban in Scottish waters, Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government have today announced a closure of all Scottish waters to industrial sandeel fishing.
“This coincides with a similar announcement for English waters of the North Sea from the UK Government. We commend the leadership shown by both Scottish and UK Governments to take action to protect our beleaguered and precious seabirds on this issue and thank the tens of thousands of RSPB supporters who added their voice to our calls to enact these closures.
“With over 70% of Scottish seabird populations in decline, ending industrial sandeel fishing is the single greatest action that can be taken to support our most vulnerable seabirds right now.
“It will build their resilience in the face of Avian Flu and the multitude of other human-made pressures they face, such as climate change and offshore developments. Sandeels are a key food source for seabirds and other marine wildlife but have been adversely affected by both climate change and unsustainable fishing, so this is a very positive and welcome measure for the overall health of our seas.”
UK Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I was delighted to visit Bempton Cliffs last week and see firsthand the RSPB’s work to protect our precious seabird colonies.
“I can confirm that the UK government is permanently closing the sandeel fishery in the English waters of the North Sea, to improve the resilience of our seabird colonies and the wider marine environment on which they depend.
“I know RSPB members have long campaigned for this important measure to aid the recovery of Britain’s seabirds, which are a source of great national pride. As Environment Secretary, I am committed to delivering the action required to meet our ambitious goal to halt and reverse the decline of wildlife.”
A 2021 report by the RSPB, Revive our Seas, outlined the case for stronger regulation of sandeel fisheries in UK waters.
The report found that several seabirds had suffered severe declines in recent years, with those species dependant on sandeels faring the worst. These include Kittiwakes, whose UK population has halved since the 1960s, as well as Puffins, with both birds declared as at risk of global extinction.
Making clear the link between seabird decline and reduced sandeel availability, the report also uncovered major flaws in the way the North Sea sandeel fishery is managed. Although warming seas, as a result of climate change, are held primarily responsible for the decline of sandeel availability, the commercial fishing of this species is making the problem much worse.
Every year, industrial fishing fleets catch hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sandeels in the North Sea, crippling the ability of seabirds to find enough to feed their chicks. The closure of industrial sandeel fisheries in the English North Sea and Scottish waters will help build seabird resilience at a critical time for the natural world.
The latest comprehensive assessment of the UK’s biodiversity, the State of Nature 2023 report, found one in six species threatened with extinction from Great Britain. For marine life, the biggest drivers of decline are unsustainable fishing, climate change and marine development.
Much more needs to be done to safeguard seabirds and our marine wildlife, including better protections, and addressing the issue of thousands of seabirds being caught in fishing lines and nets.
The closure of industrial sandeel fisheries is a recognition of the need to act now to save our seabirds, and to tackle unstainable fishing. While there are many more challenges to overcome, this is a crucial step in the long journey to restore our natural world and reverse the decline in wildlife.
Use of Post Offices to deposit and withdraw cash has soared in Scotland over the past two years, up 11% year on year
The Post Office believes demand has been driven by bank branch closures and rising awareness of Post Offices’ availability to bank customers, opening hours and other benefits
Cash plays a vital role in local economies and communities, and especially for small businesses and vulnerable members of society, meaning Post Offices play a ‘lifeline’ role
The Post Office has published figures for Scotland showing the organisation’s fast-growing and vital role supporting local communities and economies with cash handling services – amid sharp falls in the number of bank branches.
Post Offices can be used by personal and business customers of 30 banks, building societies and credit unions to deposit and withdraw cash, deposit cheques and check balances.
In 2021, total cash deposits and withdrawals by business and personal customers at Scotland’s 1300 Post Office branches rose to a total of £2.41bn, up 11% per cent compared with £2.18bn in 2020. A fuller breakdown is included in the table below.
2020
2021
% Change
Personal withdrawals
£545,846,828
£593,082,999
8.65%
Personal deposits
£779,185,023
£965,059,248
23.86%
Business withdrawals
£17,077,346
£17,202,460
0.73%
Business deposits
£835,949,801
£837,624,426
0.20%
Total
£2,178,058,998
£2,412,969,133
10.79%
In addition, the total number of transactions (deposits and withdrawals) hit 11 million in 2021, compared with 10.7 million in 2020.
The Post Office believes the sharp increase reflects closures of bank branches across Scotland. Which?, the consumer advocacy group, earlier this month told the Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster that the number of bank branches in Scotland had fallen by 53% over the past seven years – with 1,040 branches having been closed.
There is also growing awareness of the other benefits of using Post Offices to do everyday banking. Because many are located in convenience stores, they often have longer opening hours than traditional bank branches and customers can pick up groceries and pay bills at the same time.
In addition, communities appreciate the crucial role that Post Offices play in local economies, where cash transactions can be critical for small businesses, and where many individuals, and especially more vulnerable members of society, rely on cash. Postmasters frequently handle deposits and withdrawals to the penny, reflecting customers’ careful budgeting.
In Scotland, the data also shows that average personal deposit in 2021 was £324.83, and the average withdrawal was £85.34. For business customers, the average deposit was £1063.02, and the average withdrawal was £226.05.
Last week the Post Office announced it had secured a new agreement to continue to handle cash deposits and withdrawals across the UK on behalf of the banks, building societies and credit unions for a further three years – ensuring a continued ‘lifeline’ for the millions of people and small businesses nationwide that rely on cash.
The new agreement, Banking Framework 3, will run from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2025.
Martin Kearsley, the Post Office’s Banking Director, said:“Post Offices increasingly provide a lifeline for individuals and small businesses across Scotland, especially amid ongoing bank branch closures. Although many people use cash less, it remains crucial for large numbers of people and local economies.
“When we see customers making withdrawals, we are often seeing people whose budgeting is so tight they need to withdraw cash to the nearest penny. You also have to consider businesses that rely on cash, and just what the impact would be if they had to turn such custom away – they need a convenient and secure place to pay that cash in speedily without having to close to visit a distant bank branch. It can make a critical difference to a local economy.
“The good news is that Post Offices continue to provide cash services across Scotland. What’s more, they very often have longer opening hours as most are located in convenience stores. This also means you can pick up groceries or pay bills at the same time.”
Post Office is also trialling new Banking Hubs whereby five major banks (RBS, Santander, Virgin Money, Bank of Scotland, TSB) take it in turns to provide services on weekdays as part of a landmark industry commitment to protect cash and banking services across the UK.
One of the two established hubs is located in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, providing access to face-to-face banking services for its community of 25,000.
As a result of the overwhelmingly positive response, it was announced both pilots would continue to run until spring 2023, at least.
In addition, a Bank Hub will be opened this year in Carnoustie (Angus).
More than 120 organisations from across Scotland are urging First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to double the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s Programme for Government.
The campaigners say the 1 in 4 children living in poverty in Scotland cannot wait.
In an open letter the End Child Poverty coalition is calling on The First Minister to “do the right thing” to help thousands of poverty-stricken children and families.
The letter in full:
Dear First Minister,
As a broad coalition of national organisations, community groups, academics, trade unions and faith groups, we are writing to you to urge you to use the upcoming Programme for Government to commit to doubling the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s budget.
We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling child poverty, evidenced in the setting of statutory child poverty targets, introducing the Scottish Child Payment and the upcoming incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These steps have laid the foundation for tackling child poverty in Scotland and we have been delighted that they have been supported across Scotland’s political spectrum.
This cross-party agreement was also evident in May’s Holyrood elections, when all Scotland’s five main political parties committed to doubling the Scottish Child Payment. Such political consensus is welcome, and provides the opportunity for your government to act quickly and decisively in doubling the payment now.
To do so would provide a lifeline to families who are struggling to stay afloat. Even before Covid-19, people across Scotland were being swept up in a rising tide of poverty, with child poverty rising in every Scottish local authority. And the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities in Scotland and pulled many more people – particularly women, disabled people, and Black and minority ethnic people – into hardship.
With women’s poverty being inextricably linked to child poverty, the pandemic’s impact has pulled children across Scotland ever deeper into poverty. It has hit lone parents – the overwhelming majority of whom are women – particularly hard, a group already disproportionately affected by years of social security cuts.
Unlocking people from this poverty requires long-term work to tackle the structural inequalities around the labour market – particularly for women, disabled people and Black and minority ethnic people – and it will also require action like further expanding childcare provision. But we also need action now to boost incomes in the short term.
Every level of government has a duty to boost incomes where it can, and we are clear that the UK Government must scrap its planned and unjust £20 Universal Credit cut. But just as the UK Government has a moral responsibility to do the right thing, so too does the Scottish Government have a moral responsibility to use all of the powers at its disposal to loosen the grip of poverty on people’s lives.
We have the powers, we have the urgent need, and we have the cross-party consensus to double the Scottish Child Payment. If your government is to truly make ending child poverty a ‘national mission’, and if we are to ensure that a more just Scotland emerges from the pandemic, then we must not delay. Children growing up in the grip of poverty right now – as well as their parents and care-givers – simply cannot endure until the end of this Parliament to be unlocked from poverty. Their lives and life chances are too important for this action to wait.
The evidence is clear that if it is doubled now, it will represent the single most impactful action that could be taken to help meet the interim child poverty targets in 2023, and would signal that ending child poverty will be a defining priority for this Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. If it is not, more and more children will be pulled into poverty and the opportunity to meet the interim child poverty targets will be missed. Under the current roll out plan and value, the Scottish Child Payment will reduce poverty in Scotland by between 2 and 3 percentage points. This could leave child poverty rates as high as 26% in 2023/24, when the interim target in legislation for that year is 18%. We cannot allow that to happen.
We therefore urge your government to do the right thing, to capitalise on the cross-party consensus that already exists, and to commit to doubling the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s budget. We look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
Peter Kelly, Director, Poverty Alliance
Claire Telfer, Head of Scotland, Save the Children
Paul Carberry, Director for Scotland, Action for Children
SallyAnn Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Aberlour
John Dickie, Director, CPAG Scotland
Martin Crewe, Director, Barnardo’s Scotland
Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland
Satwat Rehman, Director, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS)
Amy Woodhouse, Joint Interim CEO, Children in Scotland
Christine Carlin, Scotland Director, Home-Start UK
Clare Simpson, Manager, Parenting Across Scotland
Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap
Polly Jones, Head of Scotland, The Trussell Trust
Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children 1st
Eilidh Dickson, Policy and Parliamentary Manager, Engender
Hugh Foy, Director, Xaverians UK Region
Russell Gunson, Director, IPPR Scotland
Dr Patrycja Kupiec, CEO, YWCA Scotland – The Young Women’s Movement
The Rt Hon Lord Wallace of Tankerness QC (Jim Wallace), Moderator of the General Assembly, The Church of Scotland
Emma Cormack, Chief Executive Officer, The Health Agency
Gillian Kirkwood, Chief Executive, Y sort it Youth Centre
Agnes Tolmie, Chair, Scottish Women’s Convention
Linda Tuthill, CEO, The Action Group
Steven McCluskey, CEO, Bikes for Refugees
Trishna Singh OBE, Director, Sikh Sanjog
Professor Adrian Sinfield, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, University of Edinburgh
Jimmy Wilson, CEO, FARE Scotland
Ian Bruce, Chief Executive, Glasgow CVS
Revd Gary Noonan, Minister, Houston and Killellan Kirk
Jacqui Reid, Project Lead, EBI Unites
Innes McMinn, Manager, Independent Living Support
Suzanne Slavin, CEO, Ayr Housing Aid Centre
Fiona Rae, Interim Chief Executive, Community Food Initiatives North East
Mhairi Snowden, Director, Human Rights Consortium Scotland
Juliet Harris, Director, Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights
Tressa Burke, CEO, Glasgow Disability Alliance
Martin Wilkie-McFarlane, Director, Wellhouse Housing Association
Morna Simpkins, Scotland Director, MS Society
Kara Batchelor, Operations Manager, Alexander’s Community Development
Murray Dawson, Chief Executive, Station House Media Unit
Ashli Mullen, Creative Director, Friends of Romano Lav
Professor John McKendrick, Co-Director of the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University
Justina Murray, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol
The UK Government has now confirmed that £20 a week will be cut from Universal Credit in October. By removing this lifeline, poverty will increase among the 6 million claimants of Universal Credit, says the TUC.
40 percent of these claimants – over two million people – are in work.
Number of people on Universal Credit 2020/21 (including in work and out of work breakdown):
Source – TUC analysis of stat explore data using May 2021 data
Our new analysis reveals the regional and local impact cutting Universal Credit will have on low-paid workers.
Numbers on Universal Credit in work by region/nation (May 2021):
Region/nation
Number in work receiving UC
Total number receiving UC
% Of UC recipients in work
North East
100,437
281,759
35.6%
North West
282,131
755,400
37.3%
Yorkshire & Humber
194,344
518,269
37.5%
East Midlands
166,265
403,272
41.2%
West Midlands
214,730
585,069
36.7%
East of England
199,459
494,271
40.4%
London
375,426
1,015,321
37.0%
South East
274,235
677,609
40.5%
South West
184,983
439,612
42.1%
Wales
103,609
279,068
37.1%
Scotland
176,935
481,263
36.8%
Total
2,274,976
5,938,914
38.3%
Source – TUC analysis of stat explore data using May 2021 data – for constituency level data see press release
The impact on poverty
The government justifies the £20 cut by saying its focus is to move people into jobs, but this misses the point. Many of those on Universal Credit (40 percent of claimants) are already in work.
2.3 million workers, many of which are key worker households, will be worse off as a result of the government’s plans to cut universal credit.
The working tax credit is also being cut, having also been raised by £20 per week in early 2020. This cut to crucial in-work support will push more families below the breadline.
Analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows the majority of families that lose out will be working families.
These cuts are likely to worsen already record-high levels of poverty.
Just before the pandemic hit, poverty was at a record high, with 14.5 million people in poverty. The majority of these (57 per cent, or 8.3 million people) were in working households. The idea that work is a guaranteed route out of poverty is now simply not true.
Low standard rate
Even with the increase in the rate by £20 a week – the basic rate of universal credit is worth around a sixth of average weekly pay.
The UK system is strikingly less generous than in most other European countries, where unemployment benefits are related (at least in the initial period of unemployment) to previous wages to cushion income shocks, ranging from 60 per cent of previous wages in Germany to 90 per cent in Denmark.
The TUC believes that rather than being cut, Universal Credit should be increased to at least 80 per cent of the level of the living wage, around £260.
And the temporary £20 top-up excluded those on legacy benefits all together, many of whom are disabled or carers, and cannot work. This should be extended to these claimants too.
Change is needed
The UK safety net is failing as a result of years of deliberate attacks on the social security system, with around £34 billion of cuts made to social security since 2010.
The reason for increasing Universal Credit and Working tax credits was that previous rates were too low. Removing this increase makes no sense. The pandemic might – hopefully – be going away, but the need for social security isn’t.
The £20 increase in universal credit has been a “vital lifeline” for low-paid workers: having £20 a week less to spend will mean going without the essentials in life.
An ambitious agenda to tackle in-work poverty would include decent pay, secure work, progression opportunities for those on low incomes, and affordable childcare and housing costs.
It would not include a cut to the lifeline support that working families across the country are relying on.
Tourism and hospitality businesses across Scotland are to benefit from a £104.3 million package of support in the New Year.
The funding is part of the short term response to the Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce recommendations and follows lengthy discussions with industry to target support specifically where it is needed the most.
It is part of the £185 million package previously announced by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes. Further work will be urgently undertaken to establish what additional support is needed in light of the announcement to move mainland Scotland to level 4 and the Scottish islands to level 3 from Boxing Day.
Businesses required to close by law are currently able to claim up to £3,000 every four weeks through the Strategic Framework Business Fund.
Areas set to benefit include:
£19.2 million to provide one-off grants for hospitality businesses
£50.8 million for businesses with a rateable value of more than £51,000 that have not received support from the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund or Hotel Support Programme and some additional support to smaller businesses impacted by restrictions
£11.8 million for international inbound, coach tourism and domestic tour operators
£7 million for self-catering
£5 million for visitor attractions
£2.5 million for outdoor tourism
£2.3 million for hostels
£2 million for ski centres
£1.5 million for travelling show people ineligible for other support
£1.2 million for Destination Management Organisations
£1 million for B&Bs and guest houses excluded from the latest Non Domestic Rates scheme
Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “It’s been a particularly bruising year for our tourism and hospitality sectors. The COVID-19 crisis has shattered previously successful businesses and we are committed to doing everything possible to get them back on their feet. These funding streams seek to throw a lifeline to some sectors that we know are particularly vulnerable and may not have access to help from other sources.
“We’ve already invested well over £2.3 billion to support businesses across Scotland, including 100% rates relief for pubs and restaurants but we know this is not enough. The restrictions, as necessary as they are, continue to have a profound effect and it is fair to say that tourism and hospitality businesses are feeling it more than most. This funding will provide a vital lifeline in the build up to what should be much of the industry’s busiest time of the year.
“The funding aligns in the short term with many of the tourism taskforce’s recommendations and I am grateful to it for its work on this.
“Clearly, in light of the enhanced restrictions announced at the weekend to control the spread of the virus, we will be undertaking further work on what additional support is needed by businesses, including for the longer term. There is a need to move quickly to ensure the sector is adequately supported and ready to go again, when the time is right.”
Health and social care CGL (Change Grow Live) has taken over the local recovery service previously run by Lifeline from a shop unit in Muirhouse Shopping Centre. Lifeline is no longer in operation, having ran out of money last month. Continue reading North West Recovery Service: Lifeline service replaced by CGL
