The Old Kirk & Muirhouse Church
Saturday 24 November 12 – 2pm
Tag: Poverty
“Heart-breaking”: Foodbank use on the rise in Edinburgh
SNP MSP Ben Macpherson has condemned the UK government’s welfare cuts, after new figures revealed that foodbank use in Edinburgh has risen by 5% since last year.
Continue reading “Heart-breaking”: Foodbank use on the rise in Edinburgh
Benefit Cuts: Green MSP Condemns Tories For Targeting Women
UK Gov Cuts Target Women: Green MSP Condemns Tories In Holyrood Debate
The UK Government’s cuts to benefits target women and children, and must be reversed, according to Scottish Greens social security spokesperson Alison Johnstone MSP.
Speaking in this week’s Holyrood debate – Impact of UK Government Welfare Cuts and Universal Credit on Poverty – Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, said: “Cuts to our social security system, including to Universal Credit, are taking money out of the pockets and wallets of some of our poorest households. As the Institute for Fiscal Studies notes, Universal Credit is quite deliberately creating millions of losers. Continue reading Benefit Cuts: Green MSP Condemns Tories For Targeting Women
University hits social diversity recruitment goal three years early
The University of Edinburgh has met a key Scottish Government objective to attract students from the country’s most economically challenged areas, three years ahead of schedule. Continue reading University hits social diversity recruitment goal three years early
Leading poverty expert to head Edinburgh Commission
The City of Edinburgh Council has appointed an independent chair to lead the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, which will shine a light on and recommend ways to address poverty in the Capital. Continue reading Leading poverty expert to head Edinburgh Commission
One in four Scottish children live in poverty as parents locked out of job market
Ambitious targets to reduce child poverty will stall, warns charity
In its state of the nation report, Poverty in Scotland 2018 (below), the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) warns one in four (230,000) children in Scotland live in poverty. The report comes as Challenge Poverty? Aye we can! gets underway, a campaign by the Poverty Alliance which shows how poverty in Scotland can be solved and allow everyone to take part in society. Continue reading One in four Scottish children live in poverty as parents locked out of job market
Edinburgh Napier launches Dignity Box campaign
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
Researchers looking to interview self-employed or freelance workers
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
Tax Credits centred on English term times leaves Scots families struggling
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
Twice as likely to die early or live with ill health if you live in Scotland’s poorest areas
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.”