Tag: Poverty

Local Government Living Wage for all city council staff

Every employee of the City of Edinburgh Council will earn at least the Scottish Local Government Living Wage (SLGLW) in their base pay from 1 April. 

The news was announced by Council Leader Adam McVey at yesterday’s Full Council meeting and follows months of joint working with the Trade Unions to arrive at a simpler, fairer and sustainable pay structure for the organisation. 

Consolidating the Scottish Local Government Living Wage means the Council can deliver an increase in pay to nearly 4,500 of its lowest-paid employees, demonstrating progress in its continued efforts to become a Scottish Fair Work employer and work towards eradicating poverty in Edinburgh by 2030. 

Since 2013, the Council has topped up pay to meet the Living Wage. By now consolidating the Living Wage into base pay we are making changes to the lower part of the pay structure, which means that 4,400 of employees in grades 1 to 3 will have a pay increase, equivalent to more than £200 extra per year on average for full-time employees.

The new pay structure also reflects the Council’s efforts to incorporate the principles of the Edinburgh 2050 City Vision, which were developed based on residents’ aspirations to build a welcoming, thriving, fair and pioneering Capital city.

Discussions will continue with the Trade Unions on further proposals to simplify pay and related allowances for other employees, to help deliver a fairer, simpler and sustainable pay framework for the future.

Cllr McVey said: “We’re one of the Capital’s largest employers and we want to – and must – lead by example if we’re to help steer Edinburgh towards the fair and equitable future we collectively strive for.

“I’m therefore delighted to confirm our commitment to being a Living Wage employer by announcing that, from 1 April, everyone who works for the Council will earn at least the Scottish Local Government Living Wage as part of their basic pay. This means on average full-time employees in grades 1-3 will have an uplift in their pay of more than £200.

“As a city, we’ve set ourselves the hugely ambitious target of eradicating poverty by 2030 – in fact, we’re the first UK local authority to set such a target. Today’s confirmation of a new simple and fair pay structure proves we’re ‘walking the talk’ on poverty and rewarding our hard-working employees properly for the roles they play in helping to look after this great city and our communities.”

Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I want to say thank you to all the Trade Union representatives who’ve worked so hard on this with our team so that we were able to make this announcement today.

“Our people have been doing an incredible job in exceptionally challenging circumstances during this pandemic so to be able to make sure every single one of our employees will earn at least the SLGLW as part of their basic pay from next month is extremely welcome.

We want to go even further than this, though. That’s why we’ll continue to engage constructively with the Joint Trade Unions towards making positive and lasting change to the organisation on behalf of our colleagues.

“There’s much still to be done to simplify pay and conditions of service and in a way that’s fair, sustainable and, importantly, financially viable.

Speaking before last month’s council budget meeting, Unison City of Edinburgh branch secretary Tom Connolly said: “Staff in local government need to be rewarded and paid well for the jobs that they do, there are many low paid workers in local government providing face to face support to or most vulnerable children and adults, in school, care homes, etc.

“Other council staff keep our public buildings clean, keep our roads clear, clean our streets and empty our bins, administrative and clerical workers dealing with benefits and other essential administrative tasks, all examples of low paid and undervalued workers who have continued to keep the city running.

“These workers now need to be given the value that they have always deserved and rewarded with decent pay and conditions. Clapping does not pay the bills.”

Carnegie UK Trust report: The future of the Minimum Wage

The UK Government has been urged to hold firm on its commitment to boosting the minimum wage over the course of this parliament, in order to give low paid workers a much needed pay rise. But the government must also take wider measures to boost job quality and tackle poverty, and provide additional support for employers to adapt to higher minimum wage.

New research published by the Carnegie UK Trust and the Learning and Work Institute argues that despite the pandemic and the recession it has triggered, the ambitious minimum wage targets of the next four years are both deliverable and vital for low paid workers.

In 2019, the Government pledged to increase the National Living Wage – the legal minimum wage for workers aged 25 and over – to two thirds of median pay by 2024, and to extend this rate to workers aged 21 and over. Polling commissioned by Learning and Work Institute and Carnegie UK Trust shows that a majority of workers (66%) and businesses (54%) support the move.

The report argues that increases in the minimum wage must be part of a wider mission to support ‘good work’ across the economy.

Polling of employers as part of the research found that 22% of employers with a high proportion of workers on low pay said they may respond to a higher wage floor by using more insecure job contracts, with 17% saying they would cut back on non-pay benefits. 12% of low pay employers said they may remove supervisory or managerial roles in response to a higher minimum wage, risking more ‘bunching’ of workers at or near the wage floor and making progression more challenging. 

The report calls for the increase to the minimum wage to be part of a wider strategy for good work, including promoting sectoral collective agreements in low pay sectors, in order to agree common standards beyond the minimum wage.

While recent increases in the minimum wage have been successful in reducing the number of people on low pay, the number of people in in-work poverty has continued to rise.

This is in part because increases in the wage floor have been accompanied by cuts to in-work benefits for those on low incomes and with high living costs, which have pushed more working people into poverty. Any increases in the wage floor need to be accompanied by better support through the social security system, including through retaining the £20 uplift in Universal Credit which is due to end in April.

The report considers support needed to help employers who are hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic to adapt to the new wage floor.

It calls for a temporary re-balancing of employer national insurance contributions (NICs) as a transitional measure to support employers to adapt and minimise any risks to employment of a higher minimum wage.

Through both increasing the threshold at which employers start to pay NICs, and increasing the rate at which NICs are paid, government could reduce the tax burden on employers who are impacted by the increase, supporting them to adjust to higher wage costs, whilst protecting overall revenue for the Treasury.

Douglas White, Head of Advocacy at Carnegie UK Trust, said: “Good work has a vital role to play in supporting wellbeing – and decent pay is of fundamental importance. Many low pay workers have been on the frontline during the pandemic and we were pleased that November’s spending review confirmed a rise in the minimum wage.

“Our report sets out a path towards future sustainable minimum wage increases – providing support for employers as they recover from the pandemic and ensuring that workers receive the pay rise that they deserve and need.

“We also urge government to be ambitious in driving forward other crucial aspects of their good work agenda, including supporting workers to train and re-skill and making progress to build back a resilient labour market from the pandemic”. 

Joe Dromey, deputy director of research and development at Learning and Work Institute and author of the report, said: “Government can still achieve its commitment to boosting the minimum wage, but this will be trickier after the pandemic. A temporary rebalancing of employer national insurance contributions would help businesses to adapt to a higher wage floor, minimising any potential job losses.

“While increasing the minimum wage would deliver a much-deserved pay rise to millions of low-paid workers, this alone will not tackle the scourge of in-work poverty. Government must ensure sufficient support through the social security system, starting by retaining the £20 increase in Universal Credit.”

We have published the final report in our series looking at the future of the minimum wage, and exploring its impact on workers, employers and the economy.

The UK’s minimum wage is widely regarded as a successful policy which has achieved broad political support over the last two decades, and successfully reduced extreme low pay without damaging employment.

Despite these successes, a rising minimum wage has not been enough to tackle in-work poverty.

And even before the pandemic inflicted severe pressures on the economy, there was a need to understand the ability of businesses to adapt to a higher wage floor, and ask whether changes made by employers to accommodate higher pay might compromise other important aspects of job quality, such as progression or terms and conditions.

Given the significant impact of the pandemic on the economy and household income, the future of the minimum wage is even more important and contested. Low paid workers need a pay rise, but businesses may need extra support to adapt to a higher wage floor.

Our report makes recommendations about the future path of the minimum wage, and sets out proposals for how an increased minimum wage can be delivered as part of a wider labour market strategy that promotes good work and tackles in-work poverty.

We would be delighted to hear your views on the ideas in the report.

You can get in touch with us on Twitter @CarnegieUKTrust, using the hashtag #MinimumWage or you can let us know your thoughts by emailing Gail Irvine, Senior Policy and Development Officer, ongail.irvine@carnegieuk.org.

Kind regards,

Sarah Davidson

Chief Executive, Carnegie UK Trust

Twitter: @CarnegieUKTrust

www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk

Three-in-ten new Universal Credit claimants have seen their debts grow during the crisis

Over three-in-ten people who have started claiming Universal Credit (UC) during the pandemic have either acquired new debts, or seen their existing debts grow, as the crisis enters its eleventh month, according to new research published by the Resolution Foundation.

The debts that divide us – which includes analysis of a detailed online YouGov survey, supported by the Health Foundation – explores how people who have newly claimed UC during the pandemic have coped financially, as well as their prospects for the coming months.

The Foundation notes that of the almost six million people who are currently claiming UC, around three-in-five made a new claim in 2020, including many of the 1.4 million people who made a new claim at the start of the crisis in April and May of last year.

The research finds that families newly claiming UC have taken a major income hit, even with the vital £20 a week uplift to UC. Almost half (45 per cent) reported seeing their income fall by at least a quarter, while around one-in-three (34 per cent) reported seeing their income fall by at least 40 per cent.

And with the pandemic-induced economic crisis having lasted almost a year, the research shows that the big income losses faced by people moving onto UC are taking their toll on their ability to cope financially.

The research finds that over three-in-ten (31 per cent) new UC families have either acquired new debts or seen their existing debts grow, while around one-in-five (21 per cent) have fallen behind on paying essential (non-housing) bills.

Looking ahead to the next three months, a period in which UC is set to be cut by £20 a week (from 5 April 2021), three-in-five (61 per cent) UC families say they will struggle to keep up or will fall behind on bills, around twice the proportion of families across the economy as a whole (31 per cent).

The Foundation says that the uplift to UC has been essential for protecting family incomes during a pandemic that is lasting far longer than anyone expected when the policy was announced back in March 2020. The uplift is likely to prove just as vital in the coming months too, as more people claim UC off the back of rising unemployment.

It adds that with millions of households claiming UC experiencing real financial hardship, cutting their support in just two months’ time would be a grave error – and extinguish any hopes of a living standards recovery this year.

Karl Handscomb, Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Over three million people have started claiming Universal Credit since the pandemic began, including 1.4 million people who moved onto the benefit right at the start of the crisis.

“As the pandemic reaches its eleventh month – a depressing duration few expected last March – the income shock from with moving onto Universal Credit has evolved into mounting debts and arrears on essential bills.

“The Chancellor was right to raise Universal Credit to support families through tough economic times. And with tough times set to continue as unemployment rises through 2021, this vital boost to family incomes must be maintained.

“Cutting the incomes of six million families in just two months’ time, when public health restrictions are still likely to be widespread, makes no sense politically, economically, or in terms of raising people’s living standards.”

Universal Credit £20 weekly increase must be extended, says Westminster committee

The Chancellor must maintain for another year ‘at the very least’ the £20 per week increase in Universal Credit (UC) and Working Tax Credit introduced to support families during the coronavirus pandemic, MPs say today.

  • Work and Pensions Committee calls for year-long extension of increase ‘at the very least’
  • Removal in April while pandemic still being felt would plunge hundreds of thousands of families into poverty
  • Any plans to replace rise with one-off payments must be abandoned amid concerns over fraud and impact on vulnerable

The report from the Work and Pensions Committee notes that since March the number of people claiming UC has doubled to around six million, while job vacancies remain far below pre-pandemic levels.

It warns that removing the payment as planned in April, while the effects of the pandemic are still being felt, would ‘plunge hundreds of thousands of households, including children into poverty’ while dragging those already in poverty ‘down into destitution’.

While the Committee recognises that continuing with the increase would come at a ‘substantial cost’, the Committee argues that this should be seen in the context of the Treasury’s own £280bn figure for total spending on coronavirus support measures this year. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has estimated that keeping the £20 rise would cost around £6.4bn in the next financial year.

The report also calls on the Government to abandon any plans for one-off payments to replace the weekly rise. The Secretary of State confirmed to the Committee last week that the DWP had been asked to investigate such an option but said it was not ‘one of the Department’s preferred approaches to providing that financial support’.

The report has been published after evidence sessions with frontline support organisations and policy experts and the Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary last week.

Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said: “Removing the extra payment in March would represent a failure by Government – failure to recognise the reality of people struggling.

“Without regular support, hundreds of thousands of families will be swept into poverty or even destitution. Government must end the uncertainty and commit to extending this lifeline.

“The Chancellor faces difficult decisions about the public finances. He may find it hard at present to make the increase permanent. But the pandemic’s impact on the economy and livelihoods will, sadly, be with us for some time. An extension for a year should be the bare minimum.

“We must also hope that Rishi Sunak will listen to the groundswell of arguments against one-off payments as an alternative, including from his cabinet colleague at our Committee last week. There is broad agreement that a steady income is necessary to support people.”

Report findings and recommendations

Impact of removing the £20 per week increase (Chapter 2)

  • Analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has concluded that withdrawing the temporary increase ‘will risk sweeping 700,000 more people, including 300,000 more children, into poverty’

One-off payments (Chapter 3)

  • The Committee shares the Secretary of State’s view that a steady income is the best way to support people and is concerned that one-off payments could increase the risk of fraud and about the risks to vulnerable people.

The proposed way forward (Chapter 4)

  • The Committee has previously called on the Government to make the £20 per week increase permanent with annual inflation-based increases. The report acknowledges however that ‘in the short term, the Chancellor faces some very difficult decisions about the public finances amid a great deal of uncertainty about the future.’
  • If the Chancellor cannot yet commit to making the increase permanent, he should at the very least extend it for a further 12 months. The Government should then announce its future plans for the rate of Universal Credit no later than the Autumn Statement 2021, to give claimants enough time to plan and budget.

Dignity or Destitution?

Trussell Trust report says one in five ‘very likely’ to turn to food banks if Universal Credit uplift is removed

Nearly a quarter of a million parents on Universal Credit fear not being able to properly feed their children if cut to benefit goes ahead, according to new report.

The report from the Trussell Trust warns of growing need for food banks from people claiming Universal Credit as one in five people on the benefit say that they are ‘very likely’ to turn to one, if the £20 rise is removed.

The Trussell Trust is urgently calling on the government to keep the £20 weekly uplift to Universal Credit due to end in April, as a survey reveals the alarming consequences of cutting it.

When the pandemic first hit, the government increased Universal Credit payments by £20 each week which the charity says has prevented tens of thousands of people from needing to use a food bank.

But new research conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Trussell Trust finds 41% of people claiming Universal Credit – representing more than 2.4m people across the UK – fear they will be very likely to cut back on food for themselves if the planned cut goes ahead in April.

Worryingly, 13% of parents surveyed – representing more than 220,000 families – think they would be very likely to cut back on food for their children, meaning they simply would not have enough money to cover the basics.

The report forecasts an increase in the need for food banks amongst people claiming Universal Credit with 20% of people on Universal Credit -representing 1.2 million people – saying they would ‘very likely’ turn to a food bank for help with £20 less a week.

This comes on top of record levels of need experienced at food banks throughout the charity’s network during the pandemic, with huge increases in emergency food going to children. Further, it says these figures are just the tip of the iceberg, as many people will have been helped by other community groups.

The charity says this is about more than food with millions of people set to struggle to pay for clothing and to heat their homes and many saying they will be plunged into debt as a result of the cut.

With just weeks to go until the reduction is due, the charity insists this situation can be turned around. The report shows how the uplift provided welcome relief to hard-pressed budgets, with seven in 10 (72%) people claiming Universal Credit since early 2020 saying it has made buying essentials easier.

The charity joins many other organisations in urging the government to make the uplift permanent, or maintain it for one year at the very least, as well as extend it to people on legacy benefits who were denied the uplift last year.

It adds that only by keeping this lifeline in the longer-term will it be possible to work towards creating a hunger free future.

Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said: “The £20 increase to Universal Credit introduced at the start of the pandemic has been vital in protecting tens of thousands of people from being swept into serious financial hardship.

!This survey reveals the shocking consequences of what lies ahead if this lifeline is cut in April. This isn’t right. No one should have to suffer the indignity of relying on emergency food.  

“It’s clear that action is needed to ensure our benefits system provides people with enough money to cover the essentials. That’s why we’re insisting the government turns this situation around. Keeping the £20 Universal Credit uplift, and extending it to legacy benefits, will provide an anchor from poverty for people who need it most.

“The government should continue to do the right thing and keep this lifeline. It is a crucial step in moving towards a hunger free future for the UK.”

Scotland responds to UN’s poverty call

The Scottish Government has welcomed a call from the United Nations for urgent action to tackle deepening food insecurity, poverty and injustice in the UK.

A report published today sets out the actions being taken in Scotland to protect human rights and ensure access to food for people on low incomes.

It comes in response to concerns raised last year with the UK Government by two leading international experts who act as Special Rapporteurs to the UN Human Rights Council.

Professor Michael Fakhri and Professor Olivier De Schutter wrote to UK Ministers last August about an alarming increase in food insecurity and poverty in the UK. They requested a response within 60 days.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “The UN’s analysis has pointed to the systematic failings of the UK welfare system that have left people in hardship and crisis.

“Far too many people have experienced austerity, hunger and destitution as a direct consequence of UK Government policies and I am disappointed it has not yet issued a formal response to highlight how this will be tackled.

“Our detailed report highlights bold measures to put more money in people’s pockets, including our game-changing new Scottish Child Payment and our commitment to the Fair Work Action Plan and promoting the real Living Wage.

“The Scottish Government has now committed more than half a billion in social protection since the onset of the pandemic, including £130 million targeted at tackling food insecurity.

“However as long as key levers to move the dial on poverty and inequality remain at Westminster, the Scottish Government will continue to call on the UK Government to make the changes required to protect us all so we end the need for food banks and ensure everyone can afford to buy the food they need.”

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “Even before the pandemic began, significant numbers of people in Scotland were experiencing food insecurity. Over the last year we have seen many more swept into poverty.

“The Scottish Government’s report highlights that a ‘cash first’ response is the right approach, whether to replace Free School Meal provision or to make more crisis grants available to those who need them.

“Boosting incomes is critical to reducing food insecurity over the long term. Investing in the UK social security system will prevent more people being set adrift. Retaining the £20 uplift to Universal Credit next month will help loosen the grip of poverty and will act as a financial lifeline for thousands.”

The Scottish Government report can be read in full here.

Community Police to launch Beat Hunger campaign

North East Edinburgh Community Policing Team will be launching the ‘Beat Hunger’ campaign in the coming weeks aimed at tackling food inequality and food poverty in the area.

Sergeant Elaine McArthur-Kerr, from Leith Community Policing Team said: “The Beat Hunger campaign will initially be open to identified groups within the foodbank community who will receive additional support to their foodbank emergency food boxes.

“We are building on positive relationships that exist between the police and the wider community for this project which has been funded by Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr’s Local Partnership and Initiative fund.

“Police Scotland is committed to working with communities and protecting those who are vulnerable. Our aim is to adopt a joint approach with our partners who are participating in the campaign, to help improve physical and mental health while positively promoting healthy eating and assisting with lifelong learning.

“Additional support supplied in the ‘Beat Box’ by police will include a recipe book by Edinburgh-born Michelin star chef Martin Wishart from local ‘Restaurant Martin Wishart’ containing simple nutritious meals cooked using basic utensils with step-by-step instructions.”

The recipes will accommodate those with no cookery skills & provide activity for those with families. The book also includes tips on food management and budgetting. In addition, the recipe book will contain signposting to additional support, such as mental health and family support.

There will be a selection of basic cookery utensils and fresh nutritious ingredients to supplement long life items typically issued by foodbanks and items typically found within the household.

Keep an eye on Edinburgh Police social media for updates on the #BeatHunger campaign.

Major health organisations urge government to keep £20 Universal Credit uplift

A coalition of major health organisations have joined forces in a joint letter to urge the government to keep the £20 uplift to universal credit and extend the same support to those on legacy benefits.

The group, which includes leading royal colleges and health bodies, says that without the £20 uplift, millions of families will be swept into poverty with the result being a reduction in the health, wellbeing, and life chances of children and young people for decades to come.

The letter stresses that we must view the investment in the social security system as an investment in the nation’s health, and cutting the uplift will result in deepening health inequalities, hitting the most vulnerable.

Read the full letter from the coalition

Commenting on the publication of the letter, Dr Hazel McLaughlin, President of the British Psychological Society, which coordinated the letter, said: “Today’s letter is the first time a coalition of health bodies and organisations have joined forces to urge the government to keep the £20 uplift to universal credit, a lifeline for so many families during this pandemic.

“As organisations working across health and care, we know the links between poverty and poor physical and mental health. Without investment in the health and wellbeing of our nation, particularly those on the lowest incomes, the pandemic threatens to entrench health inequalities for generations to come. 

“In this challenging time, together we call for the government to extend the uplift to bring security to the most vulnerable when they need it most.”

The letter reads:

Dear Prime Minister

Ahead of the Spring Budget we are writing to collective collectively to urge you to make the temporary £20/week increase to the standard allowance of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit permanent from April, and address the inequality that currently exists by providing the same uplift to Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance.

As organisations working across health and care, we see the irrefutable evidence that poverty has significant negative impacts on individuals, their families and society more widely. This uplift in Universal Credit has been a lifeline for many people in supporting them through the pandemic, it is crucial that this is maintained as the country seeks to recover from its impacts.

This investment in our social security system is also an investment in our nation’s health, ensuring many of those on the lowest incomes have access to essentials like food or heating. In a year marked by worry and uncertainty, the uplift has been a preventative lifeline keeping many afloat, protecting them from financial instability, debt and worsening mental health. 

By April 2021, if the uplift is discontinued, this good work risks being immediately undermined. Overnight, 6.2 million families will face a £1,040 a year cut to their income. Based on modelling by Joseph Rowntree Foundation, this will result in 700,000 more people being pulled into poverty, including 300,000 children. There is an established link between poverty and poor health, which is worsening in the face of Covid-19. The excess mortality rates in the most socioeconomically deprived areas due to the virus is proof of this. We are therefore urging you to make the uplift permanent and to continue to support a recovery that puts health and flourishing at its heart.

The Government’s commitment to invest in jobs, skills and infrastructure is a welcome and a necessary part of boosting opportunity. But without an equal emphasis on the health of those on the lowest incomes, this threatens to exacerbate and entrench health inequalities across the UK. Removing the £20 uplift will cut families adrift, forcing them to confront mounting bills and reducing participation in rebuilding their communities.

We cannot plan for the UK’s economic recovery only to face another escalating health crisis for those on the lowest incomes. The impact of millions of families being swept into poverty will be a reduction in the health, wellbeing, and life chances of children and young people for decades to come.  

Meanwhile, more than two million people on legacy benefits, most of whom are disabled people and people with long-term mental and physical health conditions, have not been offered the same lifeline. Many of these people are at greater risk from Covid-19, and are taking more extreme and prolonged measures, to protect themselves. This not only increases their living costs, but intensifies their mental and physical strain which in turn worsens health. We urge you to ensure that the full support of this lifeline is extended to those on legacy benefits.

We have recently welcomed what seems to be strong consensus against cutting this lifeline in the middle of a recession. However, we have been concerned of rumours of short-term extensions or one-off payments which would be insufficient and ineffective.  We believe making the uplift permanent would be a worthwhile and sensible investment, and strongly urge the Government to keep doing the right thing, keep families afloat and keep the lifeline.

Signed,

Association of Directors of Public Health

British Association of Social Workers

British Psychological Society

Faculty of Public Health

Institute of Health Equity

Mind

Royal College of General Practitioners 

Royal College of Nursing

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

Royal College of Psychiatrists

Royal Society of Public Health

The Association of Mental Health Providers

The Mental Health Network of the NHS Confederation

‘Stark Gaps’ in educational attainment risk being compounded by Covid, warns Poverty Alliance report

Anti-poverty campaigners have called for increased action from the Scottish Government to tackle the educational attainment gap, after new analysis (which can be read in full here) found stark gaps in attainment between young people from Scotland’s least and most deprived areas.

The analysis, undertaken by the Poverty Alliance on behalf of The Robertson Trust, examined the evidence on the links between poverty, education and work pathways for young people in Scotland and across the UK.

It found evidence that the poverty-attainment gap – already identified by the Scottish Government as a key priority – shows signs of increasing and risks being further compounded by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The review reveals that as of 2018-19:

  • Infants living in deprived areas, aged 27-30 months, are 16% more likely to display development concerns
  • Just over 2 in 5 young people living in the most deprived areas achieve one or more Higher when leaving school (43.5%) compared to almost 4 in 5 young people living in the least deprived areas (79.3%)
  • Inequalities continue into post-16 education and work pathways with one in ten school leavers living in the most deprived areas in Scotland unemployed nine months after the end of the school year, compared to 2.6% of young people in the least deprived areas.

Despite a range of policies, strategies and initiatives having reformed the Scottish educational and employment landscape over the last six years, most notably the expansion of early learning and childcare and the Scottish Attainment Challenge, the review highlighted Covid-19’s disproportionate impact on single parents and low-income households.

Emerging evidence has also shown the negative impacts of the pandemic on the educational outcomes for children and young people from deprived areas due to the digital divide and lack of access to educational related resources.

Income inadequacy prevents children from low-income households being able to fully participate in education and initiatives seeking to reduce the attainment gap should put reducing financial barriers at the centre.

The review also highlights the importance of initiatives like one-to-one tutoring, mentoring and careers education targeted at young people living in more deprived areas; initiatives that, the review concludes, are currently lacking in Scotland.

Poverty Alliance Director, Peter Kelly, commented: “Scotland is a country that believes that every child should have every chance. However this review makes clear that too many of our young people are seeing their life chances restricted by poverty. The educational attainment gap is stark in Scotland, and is an injustice that we cannot allow to continue.

“We know that the pandemic is compounding the gap. But we also know the action that we have to take to loosen the grip of poverty on the lives of families across Scotland, and to ensure that every young person in Scotland has access to the same opportunities.

“That means using every lever at our disposal to boost family incomes, as well as increasing support for interventions like one-to-one tutoring and mentoring for young people from low-income backgrounds.”

Chief Executive of the Robertson Trust, Jim McCormick, added: “At The Robertson Trust, we are keen to understand how best we can maximise the contribution of education and fair work in reducing poverty.

“This report not only highlights the stark differences in educational experiences that children and young people from different backgrounds face across Scotland but also where some of the evidence gaps currently exist when it comes to what works and why.

“Although many of the findings will be familiar to those working tirelessly to narrow the attainment gap, this analysis shines a bright light on the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has had on those already most affected. This is particularly concerning given the clear link between childhood disadvantage, low educational attainment and future poverty.

“We will use the findings to help us shape our own role as an independent funder in this area and it is our hope that the review will stimulate renewed commitment to act across Scotland.”

If Not Now, When?

Social Renewal Advisory Board report: January 2021

Tackling poverty and inequality can be central to Scotland’s recovery from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a new report.

The Social Renewal Advisory Board has published 20 Calls to Action to help create a fairer country, with recommendations around the themes of Money and Work; People, Rights and Advancing Equality; and Communities and Collective Endeavour.

The report, If not now, when?, will now be considered by the Scottish Government.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “This ambitious report is a challenge to be bold as we recover from COVID-19.

“It recognises the strong response to the pandemic which has taken place across Scotland thanks to the collective efforts of local and national government, communities, organisations and individuals. The actions recommended build on work to tackle poverty and reduce inequality, taking a human-rights based approach.”

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Everyone has felt the impacts of the virus, but those who were already facing disadvantage have faced even greater challenges.

“We are committed to ensuring our renewal, alongside our response, ensures a Fairer Scotland for everyone no matter their circumstances.”

Sally Thomas, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Chief Executive and Joint Chair of the report’s Editorial Sub-Group said: “While there is no doubt the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, it has also re-energised work to tackle the inequalities that persist and stand in the way of Scotland becoming the inclusive, fair and progressive country we all want.”

Fellow Joint Chair and Chief Executive of Crisis Jon Sparkes said: “If accepted and implemented, the calls to action in this report will transform Scotland, building on firm foundations of social justice by continuing to tackle poverty and inequality, ensuring basic rights are realised and working towards fairer, healthier and empowered communities.

“We must seize this opportunity because if not now, when?”

If not now, when? – Social Renewal Advisory Board report: January 2021 – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The report calls for the Scottish Government to: 

  • commit to working towards a Minimum Income Guarantee for all
  • offer skills, training and qualifications programmes targeted to those most affected by the pandemic – including disabled people, minority ethnic communities and lone parents
  • commit to a new Affordable Housing Programme, delivering 53,000 affordable homes, including 37,100 homes for social rent
  • set a target to end digital exclusion in the next parliamentary term
  • work with local government and other partners to give more say to people and communities over the decisions which affect their lives
  • strengthen approaches to address and prevent hate crime and public sexual harassment.