Poverty – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Football community unites to relegate hunger to history in Scotland

Leading anti-poverty charity, Trussell, launched Football vs Hunger – a campaign aimed at encouraging football clubs and fans to play their part in ending hunger in Scotland at this weekend’s St Johnstone match at McDiarmid Park in Perth.

During the 23/24 SPL and SPFL seasons, 211,609 emergency food parcels were distributed across Scotland – this includes 69,148 parcels provided for children facing hunger across the country. This is enough parcels to put one on every seat in Hampden Park four times over, with thousands of food parcels extra.

Clubs from throughout Scotland, have already joined Trussell’s Football vs Hunger campaign and have signed the Football vs Hunger charter.

This charter involves a number of commitments, including to call out and work to stamp out poverty chanting if it happens in the ground or from when the club’s fans are visiting opposition stadiums.

Hunger in Scotland isn’t a food problem – it’s an income problem. If everyone has enough money to for the essentials, we’ll end hunger for good. We know what needs to change to make this future possible, but we can only get there if everyone plays their part.

The clubs who have signed the charter are also encouraging fans to sign up to Trussell FC on the Trussell website to support the charge to end the need for food banks in Scotland.

Francis Smith, CEO of St Johnstone FC, said: “Football has a proud history of leading the way in shaping a better society, by uniting as one voice.

“Food banks are a lifeline for people facing hardship – but they’re not the solution. All of us at St Johnstone FC believe that everyone should have enough money to afford the essentials and that there shouldn’t be a single person in our community who has to experience hunger.

“Everyone at the club is so proud of how Saints fans already rally to support the local food bank. That’s why we want to encourage you to join football’s fight against hunger, and sign for Trussell FC – the only other team we’ll wholeheartedly encourage you to support.”

Football legend, Jeff Stelling, has thrown his support behind the campaign, saying: “Hunger in the UK was never an issue I expected to become so significant in 2025, but has become one of the most critical concerns in modern Britain.

“It’s just not right that so many people can’t afford to feed their families, and need to turn to food banks.

“That’s why I’m proud to support Football vs Hunger, and join the football community helping to end the need for food banks.”

Lori Hughes, Project manager at Perth and Kinross foodbank, said: “Football is made up of great rivalries, but one thing the football community can agree on is that we need to end hunger in the UK.

“Football vs Hunger is a rallying cry for everyone who loves the game to stand up for the people in their communities who can’t afford the essentials. So whatever colour shirt you wear, sign up to Trussell FC and join the football wide effort to end the need for food banks.”

Ellie Lambert, Head of Activations at Trussell, said: “Football clubs sit at the heart of almost every community in Scotland, that’s why we are delighted that so many clubs are choosing to show their support for our Football vs Hunger campaign.

“With hundreds of thousands of fans believing that there should be no place in a modern Britain for food banks, football can be a powerful voice for positive change.”

Fans who want to sign up to Trussell FC can visit: trussell.org.uk/football

New economic index shows brutal reality of poverty in later life in Scotland

Just one in five (21%) older people say the State Pension is enough to cover basic living expenses.
‘Older people living on a low income, with caring responsibilities, or with a health condition are more likely to have cut back on heating and food.’
Independent Age call on Scottish Government to create a Pensioner Poverty strategy.

A charity’s new annual index on the economic wellbeing of older people in Scotland has revealed the difficult reality of being on a low income in 2025.

‘Older People’s Economic Wellbeing Index: Scotland 2024-25’, commissioned by Independent Age and conducted by the Diffley Partnership is a nationally representative poll of people aged 66 and over. This year marks the first year of the Index. The research will be repeated annually to track trends over time.

The Index shows that nearly one in five (19%) older people in Scotland have a household income of less than £15,000 a year, and paints a stark picture of difficulties in later life in income, costs, housing, quality of life and political representation. The research shows that certain groups are being particularly affected by the cost of living on a low income, including carers, people in one-person households and people living with a disability.

The number of older people in poverty is rising, with 156,000 or one in seven currently affected, a number that has risen by 25% in the last decade. Independent Age are calling for the Scottish Government to create a dedicated strategy to tackle this and for the UK Government to make sure that all social security payments provide enough to live on.

Income and financial wellbeing

The Index shows that older people across Scotland on a low income generally do not feel positive about their financial situation and that Government support for older people does not feel sufficient.

Just over one in five (22%) older people with an income of less than £15,000 rate their financial situation as good.
Three in five (61%) older people say the amount they receive from the State Pension isn’t enough to cover basic living expenses.
One in four (24%) older people with a health condition are not aware of Attendance Allowance/Pension Age Disability Payments.
One in four (24%) older women reported having an income of less than £15,000 compared to one in eight (13%) men.

Costs and cutbacks

Rising costs are hitting older people across Scotland, especially those living on a low income. Women, disabled people, carers and one-person households were found to be at particular risk of being financially forced to cut back on heating, skip meals and reduce social interaction.

Almost one in three (29%) older people in Scotland have skipped meals in the last 12 months
Less than half (47%) of older people in Scotland on an income of less than £15,000 are confident they will be able to pay their heating bills over next 12 months
Half (50%) of older people report that they have cut back on heating or utilities at least occasionally because of financial difficulties.
Over four in five (83%) older people with an income of less than £15,000 have cut back on heating or utilities.
Almost a third (32%) of older people with a health condition have skipped meals because of costs, compared to a fifth (21%) without a health condition.
Almost one in four (23%) women frequently or always cut back on heating or utilities, compared to one in six (17%) men.

Housing

The number of older private renters is rising across Scotland, yet this group often feel ignored by society. The Index shows that for too large a number, their housing situation is less than ideal.

People in the most deprived neighbourhoods (SIMD 1) are least likely to own their home outright and the most likely to rent from a social landlord compared to those in all other neighbourhoods (SIMD 2-5).
Older people renting from a private landlord were the least likely to say their home is ‘entirely suitable’ (40%) compared to those who own with a mortgage or loan (61%) or those who out-right owned (63%).
One in four (24%) older people report a challenge with the affordability of their housing, with it becoming unaffordable for them to live there.

Quality of life and political representation

Although most older Scottish residents polled said they are satisfied with their quality of life, most felt they were not well represented by political offices.

63% of people of pensionable age say they are not represented by the Scottish Government. This increases to 77% when it comes to the UK Government.
85% of older people supported the Scottish Government creating a pensioner poverty strategy and 81% supported the creation of an Older People’s Commissioner.
Across the board, older individuals with one or more health conditions are less likely to be satisfied with each aspect of life than those without any health conditions, including their quality of life as a whole (67%; 90%), their level of social interaction with others (66%; 83%), their general health (50%; 90%) and their ability to access public transport (54%; 73%).

Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager said: “In a fair and just society, no one should be living their later years cutting back on food or not using the heating. They shouldn’t be living in a home that doesn’t meet their needs. Our new Index paints a stark picture of the reality of living on a low income in Scotland in 2025.

“We’re calling on the Scottish Government to develop a Pensioner Poverty strategy to address the misery felt by a rising number of older Scots on a low income. This should set out actions to boost incomes and social security take up and improve housing affordability and energy efficiency.

“They should also work to create an Older People’s Commissioner who could make sure that the voices of older people across Scotland are heard in policy making. Also, the UK Government must make sure that the social security payments that they control are adequate to live on.

“An Index to measure the economic wellbeing of older people across Scotland is overdue. We know that many in this group feel ignored by wider society, and that the poverty facing many of them isn’t given the attention it needs. We hope that the Index will change that.”

Mark Diffley, Founder and Director of the Diffley Partnership said: “This important new survey provides valuable insight into the challenges older Scots face and highlights areas where support is needed, particularly for those on low incomes.

“Many are struggling financially and feel poorly supported and represented by government bodies and political representatives. Cost cutting behaviours are pervasive amongst older people and are especially prevalent amongst those who are further marginalised, such as those living in deprived neighbourhoods and people with health conditions.

“As the population ages, it’s vital to develop policies which ensure financial security and confidence to support continued independence and dignity in later years. We look forward to continuing to work with Independent Age to measure how these attitudes change over time.”

INDEPENDENT-AGE-REPORT Download

Essential bills “eating away” at incomes of lowest earners

As consumers brace themselves for the higher prices kicking in from today across bills including energy, water and broadband, those on the lowest incomes are running out of options, Citizens Advice warns.

Households in the lowest 10% for income already spend around two fifths (41%) of their earnings – after housing – on water, energy, broadband and car insurance bills. This compares to 11% for those on middle incomes, with those in the top 10% for income spending just 5%.

These latest findings come from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), as part of a Citizens Advice led-partnership with IPPR, abrdn Financial Fairness Trust and Policy in Practice looking at social tariffs.

Their research found single-adult households, and particularly those with children, are more likely than other groups to be spending 20% or more of their post-housing income on these bills, leaving them more exposed to price shocks.

If well-targeted social tariffs and bill support schemes were rolled out across water, energy, broadband and car insurance markets, the IPPR found that could save households hundreds of pounds a year.

For example, if social tariffs reduced these essential bills by 25%, for those in the lowest 10% for income, it could bring in savings of around £13 a week or £680 a year. This would be equivalent to a boost of income (after housing costs) of around a tenth for a typical household in this group.

Sara’s story

Citizens Advice sees the difference social tariffs can make. The charity supported Sara [not her real name], whose disability, medical conditions and her son’s needs make it vital for her to have a phone and internet.

She said: “Citizens Advice gave me advice on benefits, food banks and utility bills – how to cut down on them with social tariffs for water, phone and broadband. I can’t let go of my phone and the internet.

It’s very important because of my illness. I’ve got a special telecom alarm for when I fall, so I need wifi in the house. It helps a lot.”

Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice said: “After years of cost-of-living pressures, households across the country are about to feel the extra shock of rising essential bills. But for those on the lowest incomes, these unavoidable costs are already eating away at their finances, leaving their budgets stretched beyond breaking point.

“Social tariffs could be an effective safety net and put money back in people’s pockets, but the government and providers must work together to make sure nobody struggling to make ends meet misses out.

“We want to see people eligible for bill support automatically enrolled to receive it. This change can’t come soon enough.”

Professor Ashwin Kumar, Director of Research and Policy at IPPR, said: “Essential bills are leaving lowest earners with little room to breathe and causing huge anxieties.

“Well-designed social tariffs and bill support – across water, energy, broadband and insurance markets – could save households hundreds of pounds a year and provide a vital lifeline to some of the most vulnerable people across the country.”

Deven Ghelani, Director of Policy in Practice, said: “Leading utility companies are showing the benefits of data-sharing to support auto-enrolment and streamlined assessments.

“The government can take action today that makes straightforward access to social tariffs and bill support the core and expected response from utility companies to customers facing affordability issues.”

Tax Justice: A Matter of Life and Death

CATASTROPHIC: Tax justice or austerity-induced declines in life expectancy?

Tax Justice Scotland is seeking to promote a better conversation on tax policy. As such, the views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Tax Justice Scotland and its diverse supporters.

UK-wide austerity has caused average life expectancy to stagnate since 2012, and to decrease in the most disadvantaged areas (write GERRY McCARTNEY and DAVID WALSH) . With more UK-wide public spending cuts looming, the Scottish Government should use fairer taxation to combat the impacts of austerity – and avoid additional cuts.

Austerity Kills

Since 2010, a range of austerity measures have been implemented across the UK. Although most areas of public spending have suffered to some degree, the largest cuts have been directed at social security and local government, with brief interruptions in this broad approach only seen during the pandemic.

Our analyses show that the effects of austerity policies have been catastrophic.

Life expectancy, which had on average increased uninterrupted across the UK since 1945 suddenly stopped improving after 2012. Even worse, for people living in the 20-30% most disadvantaged areas, life expectancy started to decline.

Let that sink in: despite medical advances, people in our least well-off households have seen their lives get shorter.

‘Healthy life expectancy’ is also in decline, meaning that people are living for a shorter time in good health. The evidence that these dreadful health and life expectancy trends are due to austerity is now overwhelming, as summarised in our book Social Murder: austerity and life expectancy in the UK.

Austerity continuing under Keir Starmer’s Labour

Make no mistake: austerity is not going away.

The UK Labour Government’s self-imposed ‘fiscal rules’, which limit public spending, are triggering a new round of spending reviews across departments, with cuts again on the cards. Ahead of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement on 26 March, we’re now seeing reports of looming cuts to social security, with those on benefits further stigmatised.

Elsewhere, local government spending has been squeezed in real-terms per person by 18% in England (2010 to 2023/24), and 7% in Scotland (2009/10 to 2022/23). We have also just seen the international aid budget slashed to fund defence spending.

These cuts are a choice: after all, there is no shortage of fair tax options to raise more resources at UK level. Tax Justice UK and the Patriotic Millionaires suggest over £60 billion more could be raised per year through tax reforms and the closure of tax loopholes.

What can be done in Scotland?

In the absence of tax justice at UK level, the Scottish Government isn’t powerless.

It’s true that the devolution settlement dictates that it has to run a balanced budget, with the bulk of its revenues coming from the block grant, and a smaller proportion from devolved taxes.

This has meant that as budgets were squeezed in real-terms between 2010 and 2019 the Scottish Government has either had to pass on those cuts to Scottish public services, or raise taxes to protect budgets. Subsequent increases to deal with the pandemic have been eroded away .

Positively, the Scottish Government has chosen to raise some additional tax revenues; for example, the relatively small, but progressive adjustments in the Income Tax bands and rates. However, the scale of these changes has been wholly insufficient to compensate for the cuts in the block grant up to 2020.

Implementing a more comprehensive tax justice programme in Scotland is therefore the obvious option to protect the health of the Scottish population from further austerity.

Many tax options are available

Generating more revenue from Income Tax by increasing taxes for people on higher incomes would be a fair first step, particularly given that it is likely that most Scottish high earners work in the public sector and therefore cannot move that income elsewhere (the postholder could leave, but the job – and the tax paid on the income from it – would remain in Scotland).

But taxing earned income from employment isn’t the only way to raise more revenues to combat austerity; we must find ways to better tax wealth too.

Changes to how property wealth is taxed are long-overdue. Right now, the Council Tax is patently unfair because it taxes poorer households more than richer households as a percentage of their income and property value.

The Scottish Government has powers to make it fairer, or to replace it entirely, something that has been (unimplemented) SNP policy for many years. While the Cabinet Secretary for Finance says she’s “seeking a consensus on a local taxation system that is fairer, financially sustainable and fits a modern Scotland”, we’ve heard similar promises too many times to count.

Wealth takes many forms – including ownership of land, shares and savings, as well as pensions, and other assets. Devolved powers to better tax all of these forms of wealth are limited, but options like a land tax, perhaps administered locally, could be considered. Doing so would not only raise more revenues to fund services but also combat the damaging impact of wealth inequality on the economy.

Wealth inequality fuels other inequalities, like those related to gender and ethnicity. But most importantly, a growing wealth gap between those who have wealth and those who don’t – locks some of us into a life of precarity and poverty, and others into one of privilege and opportunity.

This not only concentrates advantage, opportunity and power in fewer hands, but also limits social mobility for the majority, undermines the social contract, and can ultimately threaten social cohesion and democratic politics.

With a recent report for the STUC indicating that a combination of tax justice reforms in Scotland could raise an additional £3.7bn per year, we must see faster progress.

Reject austerity and deliver tax justice

So, in the absence of action at UK level, if the Scottish Government really wants to protect the health of the Scottish population, fighting back against austerity will be necessary. The only real option in the current context is to increase taxes in a fair way so that the rich pay more.

Tax justice for Scotland, and the rest of the UK, really is a matter of life and death.

This blog was written by Gerry McCartney, Professor of Wellbeing Economy, University of Glasgow and David Walsh, Senior Lecturer in Health Inequalities, University of Glasgow.

David and Gerry’s book, Social Murder: austerity and life expectancy in the UK, is available now from https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-murder

TaxJusticeScotland-Report-Digital-Nov24 Download

Scots say: Increase taxes on the richest, rather than make cuts to public spending

CHANCELLOR EXPECTED TO SLASH WELFARE IN SPRING STATEMENT

New polling reveals people in Scotland would overwhelmingly prefer the very richest to pay more in tax rather than see cuts to public spending, as parallel Oxfam analysis shows the UK’s wealthiest people continue to amass even greater fortunes.

It comes as new number crunching by Oxfam, Patriotic Millionaires UK and Tax Justice UK finds that UK billionaires have seen their fortunes swell by £11 billion in the past 12 months alone – the combined amount the UK Government plans to cut from international aid and social security entitlements for people in the UK with disabilities or illnesses.

Campaigners say the data shows the UK Government’s recent cuts are not about financial scarcity, but rather about political priorities, and they sharply contrast with public opinion.

The polling, carried out ahead of the Spring Statement by YouGov on behalf of Oxfam, shows that people aged over 16 in Scotland strongly back action to fairly tax the wealthiest:

68% think the very richest should pay more in tax.
More than three-quarters (79%) would rather tax the very richest than see cuts to public spending.
79% support a new 2% wealth tax on assets worth more than £10 million.

The findings pile further pressure on the UK Government to introduce wealth taxes on the richest millionaires and billionaires.

Tax justice campaigners have identified a series of fair tax reforms and loopholes that could be closed to raise additional revenue. They say that a 2% wealth tax alone, applied to assets worth more than £10m, could raise up to £24 billion annually or around £460 million a week while only impacting 0.04% of the population – around 20,000 people.

For illustrative purposes, if the 2% wealth tax on assets over £10 million was introduced now, UK billionaires would still have seen their personal wealth soar by an average of £141 million each – a total of nearly £7.5 billion combined – since this time last year.

The money raised could be used to reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen public services, including the critical care sector, and boost climate action, instead of padding the pockets of the super-rich while deepening economic, gender and racial inequalities.

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “We all feel it in our bones: it’s indefensible that public spending to support those in poverty and crisis is being slashed, while private wealth is quietly stashed away.

“People in Scotland are crystal clear: they’d rather tax the richest than see cuts to public spending. Yet the UK Government has chosen to snatch £11 billion from the pockets of those who need it most while the same amount has been added to the bloated bank balances of those who need it least in just 12 months.

“It’s time for the UK Government to put fairness first; tax the super-rich and protect people in poverty. The choice is that simple.”

Mark Campbell, entrepreneur and member of Patriotic Millionaires UK, said: “As a millionaire I know the economy is working for a few people like me and working against the vast majority.

“Spending cuts are short-sighted and will only increase the worries of millions of people in the UK who are struggling to put food on the table and heat their homes.

“Meanwhile, the very richest people in our society are watching their wealth grow exponentially. It seems outrageous that the wealth of the richest is taxed at a much lower rate than the income of working people who will bear the brunt of these budget cuts.

“A wealth tax is a very clear alternative. Given that most people want higher taxes on the very richest, and plenty of millionaires – people like me – also want it, what’s stopping the UK Government?”

As part of Tax Justice Scotland, a campaign backed by more than 50 diverse civil society organisations, think tanks, trade unions and academics, Oxfam Scotland is urging the UK and Scottish Governments to use their respective tax powers to fairly raise more money to enable greater investment in key poverty-reducing public services, like care, while combatting inequalities, and rewarding businesses that provide fair and flexible work – including for parents, and particularly women – while paying the real Living Wage.

Oxfam Scotland says the Scottish Government must also use devolved powers to help combat the growing gap between the wealthiest and those struggling to make ends meet, with the richest 10% having 217 times more wealth than the least wealthy 10%, and with record high income inequality.

Wealth inequality is not only deeply unfair, but a barrier to reducing poverty. It exacerbates social and environmental harms, fuels wider inequalities – such as those related to gender and race, and drives a wedge between those with wealth and those without it.

Campaigners are calling on Scottish Ministers to use the devolved tax tools at their disposal, such as landing a fair tax on pollution-spewing private jets using Scotland’s airports and finally replacing the discredited Council Tax with a system to tax property wealth fairly.

Jamie Livingstone added: “Scotland’s political leaders can’t afford to wait for Westminster to make the fair and obvious choice to make the wealthiest pay their share.

“As we approach the 2026 Holyrood election, they would be fool hardy to ignore the public mood. People want to see real progress on fairness. Scotland has powers to tax wealth more fairly to combat runaway inequality and to build a better and greener country, it’s time to use them.”

Think tank warns: without urgent investment, Scotland will miss child poverty target in 2030

New analysis from the Institute for Public Policy Research Scotland (IPPR Scotland) warns that without urgent investment, more than 210,000 Scottish children – 22 per cent – will be trapped in poverty by 2030. That’s enough children to fill Murrayfield Stadium more than three times over, and more than twice the legal target of fewer than one in ten children in poverty by 2030.

The first minister has described eradicating child poverty as “the single most important objective” of the Scottish government and the Scottish Child Payment is helping lift children out of poverty.

If delivered within the promised timescale, the commitment to mitigate the 2-child limit will also have a positive impact on child poverty. Without these policies the think tank says Scotland’s current rate of child poverty would be even higher at 27 per cent.

However, amid mounting pressures on public finances and the imminent release of data showing if Scotland has met or missed its interim child poverty targets, new analysis by researchers at IPPR Scotland shows that a “business as usual” approach to social security would leave 22 per cent of Scotland’s children in poverty by 2030 – locking them out of the conditions they need to thrive.

The outlook looks worse in the rest of the UK, where without a change of course 32 per cent of children could be in poverty at the end of the decade. Among the many harms that result from growing up in poverty, the growing attainment gap in Scotland is particularly troubling, as children from deprived areas are less likely to obtain national qualifications than their peers from affluent areas.

Today’s research highlights that raising children requires resources in the form of time, energy and extra living space – yet the economy is not designed to ensure families have what they need.

Parents must often reduce work hours to care for and nurture their children, while adequate living space increases their housing costs. During their analysis, researchers considered a ‘better than best case employment scenario’ in which no parent is paid less than the real living wage, unemployment among parents is halved, and 40,000 economically inactive parents – a full quarter of the total – are supported into work.

This would require a massive expansion of Scottish government funded employment services, helping parents into sustained work at five times the current pace. Even if this were to be delivered, the child poverty target would still be missed, with 60 per cent more children in poverty than required by legislation.

The researchers say the inescapable conclusion of their analysis is that achieving the 2030 target is possible but only with additional spending. The most direct and targeted route for this spending would be to increase social security payments to families in or at risk of poverty.

IPPR Scotland modelled an uplift to the Scottish Child Payment as a way of achieving the target. They found that doubling the real terms value of the payment would add around £500 million to the social security budget in 2030, and would lift 40,000 more children out of poverty, cutting the child poverty rate by an additional 4 percentage points.

Researchers are clear that child poverty is not inevitable. They point to decisions that can be made to increase spending (in addition to the Scottish Child Payment and planned removal of the two-child limit) that could be taken by either from Scottish government or the UK government, the latter of which is currently developing its own child poverty strategy.

Dave Hawkey, senior research fellow at IPPR Scotland, said: “Scotland is at a crossroads and must decide whether it is willing to take the necessary steps to eradicate child poverty – there is surely only one option.

“The social security system is an important safety net to catch families when hard times hit, but this is not its only role. Even when adults are working, many families need financial support to make ends meet. Child benefit and universal credit have a vital role to play, plugging a gap that the labour market cannot and ensuring that children have what they need to grow up healthy and secure.

“The Scottish government is in the early stages of developing its next child poverty delivery plan to cover the period up to 2030. It needs to set out the actions the Scottish government will take to reduce child poverty and the impact they will have.

“The evidence is clear: to meet Scotland’s legal child poverty target, Scotland must commit additional fiscal resource to our shared priority of giving every child in Scotland a good start in life”.

One City Trust: Bringing People Together Grant

Grant opportunity for upto £5000 for Edinburgh based SE/charities

Applications close Friday 2nd May at 5pm and notifications of grant awards will go out on Monday 7th July 2025.

More Info : https://onecitytrust.com/grant-funding-programme/…

Application : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wc0wyi9mylCX4Ik5tSOAaGdxmKkBv4Ga/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102329649805004118902&rtpof=true&sd=true

Celebrities urge government to rethink devastating cuts to disabled people’s social security

High-profile names including Sir Stephen Fry, Stanley Tucci, Aisling Bea, Levi Roots, Guy Garvey, Dame Arlene Phillips, Charlotte Ritchie and Jed Mercurio have spoken out against the UK government’s proposals to slash financial support for disabled people.
Comedian Rosie Jones: “Disabled people are scared of what the future holds”.
Actor Brian Cox: “So many people having to turn to food banks is a stain on this country”.
The comments come as new polling by Trussell reveals that 7 in 10 people think social security should at least pay for disabled people’s essential living costs.
The anti-poverty charity has branded the cuts as ‘cruel, irresponsible and out of touch’ with what the public want

Celebrities including Rosie Jones, Sir Stephen Fry and Stanley Tucci have united to express their outrage at the social security cuts announced on Wednesday, saying that they risk pushing even more disabled people to food banks.

The UK government, who were elected on manifesto pledges to end the need for emergency food parcels and to make sure Universal Credit tackles poverty, has published proposals that will make it harder for disabled people to get the payments that help them cover additional costs that they face such as purchasing specialist equipment or travel to healthcare services.

Comedian Rosie Jones, who has cerebral palsy, spoke out about the potential impact of these cuts, saying: “Disabled people are scared of what the future holds if there’s cuts to disability payments, as they are already not enough to cover life’s essentials. Disabled people are far more likely to need to use a food bank and further cuts will only deepen the hardship they are facing.”

Polling done this week by Trussell, an anti-poverty charity which supports a community of 1,400 food banks, indicated that 60% of Brits think the UK government is ‘doing badly’ on reducing the number of people experiencing poverty across the UK.

Actor Brian Cox, who experienced poverty as a child, urged the Government to rethink the plans when he said: “The fact that so many people are having to turn to food banks is a stain on this country.

“This government vowed to tackle the need for emergency food parcels in the UK, yet this decision risks even more people having to seek support. It makes no sense and will have a lasting impact on the lives of so many people already finding it difficult to afford life’s essentials.”

Trussell has already expressed concern that the cuts will have a significant impact on people who are already facing hunger and hardship with 75% of people referred to one of their food banks living in a household where someone is disabled.

Recent research by Trussell indicated that three quarters (77%) of people getting Universal Credit and health or disability payments are already having to go without essentials. Four in 10 (43%) are already missing meals to try and keep up with other essential costs. A fifth (19%) have had to turn to a food bank in just the last month.

Calling for a reversal of the proposals, Sir Stephen Fry said: “Cuts should be for people who can best afford them, not for disabled people, who are amongst the most vulnerable and overlooked of all our population.

“The social security system should be rooted in justice and compassion, fairness and need. It’s not too late to rethink this.”

The celebrities are not alone in thinking that government support should be enough to ensure that no one needs a food bank to survive. Trussell’s data shows that 83% of Brits think the Government is responsible for ensuring disabled people’s essential needs are met.

Two of Trussell’s Ambassadors reflected this, adding their voices to the call for change by saying:

Television writer Jed Mercurio: “While our social security system requires regular review and reform to ensure it targets people most in need, these cuts will only increase the likelihood of people living with a disability needing to use a food bank.”
Entrepreneur Levi Roots: “From my work with Trussell, I know disabled people in receipt of Universal Credit are already having to make impossible decisions between feeding their children and heating their homes. We need compassionate solutions that make food banks obsolete. Cuts to disability payments will simply keep food banks in business for longer.”

Actor Stanley Tucci has encouraged people to speak out about the risk of the cuts, saying: “It breaks my heart to know so many people in a country as wealthy and developed as UK are experiencing hunger.

“Through my work with Trussell, I know that the reality of these cuts will be parents in disabled families having to skip meals so that they can feed their children. Things don’t have to be this way. We must shout as loud as we can to let the UK government know this plan is wrong.”

If you want to share your thoughts on the proposed cuts, you can email your MP via the Trussell website at https://action.trussell.org.uk/disability-cuts.

Heroin ‘Uncut’ at North Edinburgh Arts

We’re delighted to open Ticket Pre-Sale for Ordinary Members for Heroin screenings in April – make sure to secure your free tickets before 17 March

Join us for the first screening in over 40 years of Heroin, a ground-breaking three-part documentary filmed by Peter Carr in North Edinburgh in 1983. Originally broadcast on UK prime-time TV, these films provide an unflinching look at the realities of poverty, crime, and drug use, told by the community itself.

Each screening will be followed by a discussion with key voices, including Irvine Welsh, Dr. Roy Robertson, and Peter Carr himself.

Wed 23 April – Heroin 1 + Conversation with Irvine Welsh & Zoë Black

Thu 24 April – Heroin 2 + Conversation with Dr. Roy Robertson & Victoria Burn

Fri 25 April – Heroin 3 + Conversation with Peter Carr & Sarah Drummond

6.30pm – 8.30pm each night

Where: North Edinburgh Arts, MacMillan Hub, 12c MacMillan Square, EH4 4AB

TICKET PRE-SALE FOR ORDINARY MEMBERS

If you live in the local community (areas of Muirhouse, Pilton, Granton and Drylaw), consider becoming a NEA Ordinary Member before 17 March to access the pre-sale and secure your FREE place!

Membership fee is £3 for three years and offers a range of benefits

Join now: northedinburgharts.co.uk/get-involved/become-a-member

Find out more & book tickets at: https://northedinburgharts.co.uk/…/heroin-uncut-the…/ (General bookings open 18 March)

Trussell: Welfare and disability benefit cuts risk pushing even more people to food banks

CHARITIES CALL FOR ESSENTIALS GUARANTEE

Almost one in five people receiving Universal Credit and disability benefits used a food bank in the last month
Hunger and hardship are already at record levels. Welfare and disability benefit cuts risk pushing even more people to the doors of food banks, says anti-poverty charity Trussell
More than three quarters (77%) of people claiming Universal Credit and disability benefits have gone without essentials in the last six months.
Just over four in ten (43%) people claiming Universal Credit and disability benefit have skipped meals to keep up with other essential costs in the last three months.
The anti-poverty charity is urging the UK government not to cut welfare and disability benefits, which are already not enough to live on.
Trussell is calling on the UK government to take steps towards an Essentials Guarantee in Universal Credit, so the basic rate at least always covers the cost of life’s essentials.

Trussell has published new research that demonstrates the inadequacy of social security for disabled people across the UK.

The research, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Trussell, reveals that almost one in five (19%) people receiving Universal Credit and disability benefits have used a food bank in the last month, while a shocking 77% have gone without essentials in the last six months.

Just over four in ten (43%) people claiming Universal Credit and disability benefits have skipped meals to keep up with other essential costs in the last three months, while more than a third (37%) said they had not been able to keep their home warm enough this winter.

Meanwhile, a quarter (25%) of people in receipt of Universal Credit and disability benefits have had to choose between paying for heating/food, or getting a bed/bedding in the last three months.

“I’m terrified the government will stop or cut disability benefits and if they do, I can’t bear to think of the outcome,” said one person in their survey response.

Another person said: “It’s just going to get worse, my health will get worse. I won’t be able to renew my car insurance in March, or get an MOT this year. I think I’ll soon fall behind with gas and electric bills. If the government switch to a voucher scheme for disability payments, I’ll probably starve!”

A quarter (25%) of people claiming Universal Credit and disability benefits have been unable to afford pain relief or other over the counter medication in the last three months. Four in ten (37%) participants were behind on bills, with 28% behind on gas or electricity in particular.

Just over half (52%) of people claiming Universal Credit were pessimistic about their own financial situation over the next year. Additionally, 58% said the UK government is doing badly at improving living standards for people in their situation.

Trussell is an anti-poverty charity and community of 1,400 food banks across the UK. Disabled people are overrepresented at food banks, as 75% of people referred to a food bank in the Trussell community said that they or a member of their household are disabled.

To fulfil its long-term ambitions, Trussell says the UK government must take serious action to reduce hunger and hardship by investing in social security. Focusing on short term cuts will just push more people deeper into poverty and to hunger and hardship, and this will harm us all.

Trussell has joined together with hundreds of communities, food banks and charities including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in calling on the UK government to create an Essentials Guarantee in Universal Credit, which means the basic rate at least cover’s life’s essentials and that support can never be pulled below that level.

The majority of participants in the new survey agree, with 83% saying they would support an Essentials Guarantee.

Sumi Rabindrakumar, head of policy and research at Trussell, said: “Trussell’s heartbreaking new findings show that Universal Credit and disability benefits are failing to cover the cost of living, with 77% of people receiving them having gone without the essentials in the last six months.

“Not only that, but one in five people have had to use a food bank. This should not be the case in one of the richest countries in the world.

“We agree with the UK government that disability benefits urgently need reform. But balancing the books cannot come at the expense of people already having to survive on incredibly low incomes, and people with physical and mental ill health conditions.

“Our data shows that disabled people are far more likely to need support from a food bank, which likely reflects that life costs more for disabled people, with additional costs like therapies, treatments, specialist kit to help with day-to-day activities and paid care to think about on top of food, bills and toiletries.

“Welfare and disability benefit cuts risk pushing even more people to the doors of food banks. Many disabled people are terrified of the prospect of cuts to disability benefits, which are already not enough to live on.

“If the UK government is committed to its promise to end the need for emergency food, it must address underlying barriers to work and flaws in our social security system. It must also commit to creating an Essentials Guarantee which would ensure everyone can at the very least afford the essentials we all need, such as food, bills and toiletries- not whip away lifelines from people who need them most.”