Free basic toiletries to be made available to people in areas across Lothian experiencing social deprivation
A campaign being spearheaded by an Edinburgh Napier lecturer will see free toiletries made available to those who need them most across the Lothian region. Continue reading Edinburgh Napier launches Dignity Box campaign
Edinburgh Business School – Heriot Watt University
‘Social Enterprise as a Context of Poverty’ project Continue reading Researchers looking to interview self-employed or freelance workers
The SNP’s Gordon Macdonald has written to the UK government calling for reassessments of Child Tax Credits in Scotland to correspond with Scottish school term times, following reports of delayed payments. Continue reading Tax Credits centred on English term times leaves Scots families struggling
We’ve known for some time that health inequalities exist, but a new report out today shows the scale of the problem. The NHS Health Scotland study (below) found that people living in the poorest areas have DOUBLE the rate of illness or early death than people in our wealthiest areas.
sbod2016-deprivation-report-aug18
Nearly a third (32.9%) of early deaths and ill health in Scotland could be avoided if the whole population had the same life circumstances as the people who live in our wealthiest areas.
Our report also shows that early death and illnesses associated with the things that harm our health the most, like drugs, tobacco, poor diet, and alcohol, are more common in the poorest areas than in wealthiest areas.
Dr Diane Stockton, the study lead at NHS Health Scotland said: “The stark inequalities highlighted in our report represent thousands of deaths that didn’t need to happen. Illnesses that people didn’t have to endure, and tragedy for thousands of families in Scotland.
“It does not have to be this way. The fact that people in our wealthiest areas are in better health and that conditions that cause most of the ill health and early death result from things we can change – like illnesses associated with mental wellbeing, diet, drug use and alcohol dependency – shows that it is possible to create a fairer healthier Scotland.
“Our report highlights that to do this, we have to improve the life circumstances of people in our poorest areas and prevent their early death or avoidable ill health. This is about more than encouraging healthy choices. It’s easier to access the things that harm our health in these areas, and so no one type of behaviour change is going to solve this problem on its own. It’s about addressing the environment we live, rest, play, work and learn in so that it supports us to be mentally and physically well. And it’s complex. There is no silver bullet, but, with collective effort for a fairer healthier Scotland, we can help to ensure that everyone in Scotland can enjoy their right to the highest attainable standard of health.”
The overall cost of a child over 18 years (including rent and childcare) is £150, 753 for a couple and £183,335 for a lone parent. But work doesn’t pay low-income families enough to meet a no-frills standard of living, new research from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows. Continue reading Working families falling short of minimum living standard
A record number of students from Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas have successfully gained a place at university according to UCAS statistics published yesterday – the third year in a row a new record has been set. Continue reading Record number of students from deprived areas heading to University
New figures show that 296,520 low income households have been helped to pay for essential items such as food and heating through emergency grant funding since 2013. Continue reading Nearly 300,000 Scottish households helped by emergency funding
Struggling parents bear the brunt of rising school costs
The costs of the Scottish school day that fall on families to pay have been revealed by a parliamentary committee, as it publishes a report on what can be done to support the education of children and young people who are experiencing poverty. Continue reading Poverty-proof education: Committee reveals the financial barriers in the Scottish school day
The social security benefits available to people who are in-work but struggling on low incomes is to be the focus of an inquiry by Holyrood’s Social Security Committee. MSPs want to understand if our social security systems are doing enough to help people get out of poverty. Continue reading Holyrood Committee to investigate Social Security and in-work poverty
Half of Scots believe that poorer health is a result of an unjust society, according to findings published today by the Scottish Centre for Social Research. Continue reading Scots poorer health is a result of an unjust society, says new report
