Community and third sector projects that try new ways to tackle poverty and improve people’s lives can now apply for a share of £29 million funding, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. Continue reading Creating a fairer Scotland: Aspiring Communities Fund launched
Welfare changes ‘damaging’ to low income families
Minister for Social Security Jeane Freeman has expressed strong opposition to the UK Government on its proposal to limit the number of children in families who can qualify for Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit. Continue reading Freeman urges Westminster rethink on latest welfare proposals
Vulnerable Scottish families could gain more than £2.3million a year, according to research by the Scottish Greens who are campaigning for a Glasgow-based project aimed at reducing child poverty to be rolled out across the country. Continue reading Extend child poverty scheme, say Scottish Greens
In 21st century Britain one in eight workers now lives in poverty
Citizens Advice Bureaux will expand their support to people needing advice on funeral planning, Social Security Secretary Angela Constance has announced. Continue reading Government action to tackle funeral poverty
Councils across Scotland are set to benefit from almost £13m of funding to tackle poverty in communities across the country. The money, made up from a combination of £5m of European Social Funds (ESF) and match funding from local authorities, will be targeted to projects that combat poverty and promote equal opportunity. Continue reading ‘Significant’ Euro funds to tackle poverty
The End Child Poverty coalition has published a new child poverty map covering Scotland and the rest of the UK. The latest figures reveal that poverty affects children in every part of Scotland, with as many as 34% of children living in poverty in some local authority areas – compared to just one in ten in others.
Across the UK more than three and a half million children are living in poverty, with 220,000 of them living here in Scotland.
Local child poverty estimates are broken down by local authority, parliamentary constituency and ward and show huge variation across the country.
Members of End Child Poverty in Scotland, including Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, Barnardos Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) Children1st and the Poverty Alliance are calling for urgent action to be taken at UK, Scottish and local government level.
The coalition is calling on the Chancellor to use the upcoming Autumn Statement to end the freeze on children’s benefits, and reverse the sharp cuts being introduced to in-work benefits under Universal Credit. They warn that the current benefits freeze means that as prices rise, low income families find it increasingly hard to pay for basic essentials at the same time as cuts to Universal Credit are pushing more working families below the poverty line.
In Scotland the campaigners are calling on Holyrood and local government to make sure the proposed Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill addresses poverty at local level.They believe that the Bill, which will enshrine the Scottish Government’s ambition to eradicate child poverty by 2030, should explicitly set out and support the role of local government and its community planning partners in tackling child poverty.
John Dickie, Director of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland said: “There’s no doubt that many of the key drivers of child poverty are UK wide and if the new Prime Minister is serious about supporting families then decisive action must be taken to end the freeze on children’s benefits and reverse sharp cuts to in-work support under Universal Credit.
“But this new map also makes it clear that child poverty plays out in different ways at local level. Local authorities and their partners know their communities and are in a great position to work with local people to prevent poverty. Many are already doing important work to make sure local childcare, housing and employability policies are working for low income families.
The new Scottish child poverty legislation must now be drafted so as to ensure all local authorities are supported in law to take a strategic approach, and that all levels of government are pulling in the same direction – towards a Scotland free from child poverty.”
Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “The latest map of child poverty across Scotland reflects the experience of our services working with families on low income day in, day out.
“There is much good work taking place to support these children and families but given their financial situation changes in benefits that reduce income have a damaging effect on parents and children. To address these challenges Barnardo’s Scotland works in partnership with local authorities and public bodies in many areas. We recognise the key role they have in the ambition to eradicate poverty and believe that a strategic approach to tackling poverty at the local level should be a key part of the new Child Poverty Bill as well as support to implement this duty”.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said: “Poverty in Scotland continues to harm the lives of children across Scotland, as this new map shows. Living on a low income not only affects their well-being now, but can have a negative impact in the future. This is an unnecessary situation and one that requires urgent attention.
“The forthcoming Scottish Child Poverty Bill and the Social-Economic Duty should begin to focus more action on the way that we support people at the local level. However, these figures also serve to highlight the damaging impact that cuts to social security benefits by the UK Government have had on many Scottish families. If Theresa May wants to signal a new direction for her Government, then these cuts should be reversed.”
Alison Todd, Chief Executive of Children 1st, Scotland’s National Children’s Charity said: ““Many of the children and families we support are becoming increasingly caught in a complex poverty trap which includes housing costs, trying to meet the costs of enabling their children to take part in school activities and being isolated from opportunities. By working in genuine partnership with families experiencing poverty, local authorities can make a real difference in these and many other areas to help lift children out of poverty.”
Scotland
Percentage of children in poverty (after housing costs)
By Local Authority
| Aberdeen City | 18.2% |
| Aberdeenshire | 13.1% |
| Angus | 20.6% |
| Argyll and Bute | 20.4% |
| Clackmannanshire | 27.3% |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 24.3% |
| Dundee City | 27.7% |
| East Ayrshire | 28.0% |
| East Dunbartonshire | 14.2% |
| East Lothian | 20.3% |
| East Renfrewshire | 14.5% |
| Edinburgh, City of | 22.0% |
| Eileanan an Iar | 17.6% |
| Falkirk | 22.0% |
| Fife | 25.0% |
| Glasgow City | 34.1% |
| Highland | 19.2% |
| Inverclyde | 27.9% |
| Midlothian | 22.5% |
| Moray | 17.2% |
| North Ayrshire | 30.4% |
| North Lanarkshire | 25.0% |
| Orkney Islands | 14.1% |
| Perth and Kinross | 18.2% |
| Renfrewshire | 23.6% |
| Scottish Borders | 21.0% |
| Shetland Islands | 10.6% |
| South Ayrshire | 25.7% |
| South Lanarkshire | 22.0% |
| Stirling | 18.8% |
| West Dunbartonshire | 26.5% |
| West Lothian | 22.8% |
By Parliamentary Constituency
| Aberdeen North | 23.0% |
| Aberdeen South | 15.7% |
| Airdrie and Shotts | 28.2% |
| Angus | 23.3% |
| Argyll and Bute | 20.4% |
| Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock | 30.0% |
| Banff and Buchan | 18.9% |
| Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk | 22.7% |
| Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | 23.0% |
| Central Ayrshire | 27.0% |
| Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill | 22.6% |
| Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East | 22.2% |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 24.8% |
| Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale | 20.0% |
| Dundee East | 22.7% |
| Dundee West | 27.9% |
| Dunfermline and West Fife | 21.0% |
| East Dunbartonshire | 12.2% |
| East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | 19.6% |
| East Lothian | 20.3% |
| East Renfrewshire | 14.5% |
| Edinburgh East | 27.3% |
| Edinburgh North and Leith | 23.7% |
| Edinburgh South | 18.5% |
| Edinburgh South West | 23.4% |
| Edinburgh West | 17.5% |
| Na h-Eileanan an Iar | 17.6% |
| Falkirk | 21.1% |
| Glasgow Central | 39.2% |
| Glasgow East | 33.7% |
| Glasgow North | 31.0% |
| Glasgow North East | 37.6% |
| Glasgow North West | 33.2% |
| Glasgow South | 29.3% |
| Glasgow South West | 33.4% |
| Glenrothes | 30.6% |
| Gordon | 9.2% |
| Inverclyde | 27.9% |
| Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey | 17.7% |
| Kilmarnock and Loudoun | 26.7% |
| Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | 27.7% |
| Lanark and Hamilton East | 23.7% |
| Linlithgow and East Falkirk | 23.1% |
| Livingston | 23.0% |
| Midlothian | 22.5% |
| Moray | 17.2% |
| Motherwell and Wishaw | 26.1% |
| North Ayrshire and Arran | 29.3% |
| North East Fife | 18.4% |
| Ochil and South Perthshire | 21.7% |
| Orkney and Shetland | 12.2% |
| Paisley and Renfrewshire North | 22.0% |
| Paisley and Renfrewshire South | 25.2% |
| Perth and North Perthshire | 19.7% |
| Ross, Skye and Lochaber | 18.0% |
| Rutherglen and Hamilton West | 23.0% |
| Stirling | 18.8% |
| West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | 9.9% |
| West Dunbartonshire | 26.5% |
Continue reading New Child Poverty Map reveals urgent need for action
The difference in payments per head to GP practices in the most and least deprived areas does not do enough to tackle health inequalities says a Green MSP.
Alison Johnstone, health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, believes the difference of £3.97 per person should be considerably more, considering that practices in areas listed as Scotland’s most deprived by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation see significantly more patients than in less deprived areas.
A report by ISD Scotland reveals that the overall payment to General Practice service providers of £753.9 million is “virtually the same amount” as last year.
Alison Johnstone, health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said: “GP practices in the most deprived areas typically have more patients on their lists and less capacity to address patient needs. Greens want to see increases in spending for general practice, and primary care more broadly, to be targeted towards practices with high levels of deprivation.
“Greater and more targeted spending for general practice can play a key part in an overall preventative spending strategy. By preventing ill-health, we can ease the pressure on our NHS and ensure that fewer patients end up needing more expensive treatment.” Continue reading GP Practice payments for deprived areas not enough, say Greens
Alison Johnstone MSP, Social Security spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, has urged the Scottish Government to use new devolved powers to stop an estimated 20,000 Scottish children being punished by the Westminster Government’s lower benefits cap. Continue reading Greens: Scotland must act to stop benefits cap ‘cruelty’
Continue reading Twenty thousand Scottish children to be hit by benefits cap
