Tag: Poverty

Comedian Nish Kumar joins more than 700 anti-poverty campaigners at Westminster demanding urgent action on rising tide of hunger and hardship

Against a backdrop of unprecedented cuts to social security for disabled people and on the day of the first reading of the welfare reform bill, representatives of community food organisations from across UK called for urgent steps towards an Essentials Guarantee to ensure Universal Credit is fit for purpose: 

For the first time ever, more than 700 representatives – including people experiencing severe hardship, volunteers at local food banks and representatives from community food organisations – stood shoulder-to-shoulder to create an historic lobby at Westminster on Wednesday (18th June) as part of the Guarantee our Essentials campaign.

Among the prominent figures at the event was comedian, TV personality and Trussell supporter Nish Kumar who joined calls for a stronger social security system that ensures everyone can afford the essentials, like food. 

Right now, more than 9.3 million people – including more than three million children – are facing hunger and hardship across the UK. In response, leading anti-poverty organisations including Trussell, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Independent Food Aid Network, Feeding Britain, Salvation Army and Your Local Pantry united in London to urge the UK government to take immediate action.  

People from across the four nations of the UK came to meet their constituent MP, speak out against the levels of severe hardship they are seeing in their local area, and ask policymakers to play their part in delivering urgent and meaningful change to our social security system.  

Representatives are calling for steps towards an Essentials Guarantee which would ensure Universal Credit is fit for purpose, helping to prevent people from having to use a food bank.

This means moving closer to a guarantee that the basic rate of Universal Credit provides enough to ensure people are at least able to afford the essentials we all need to get by, such as food and bills.

Alongside the lobby, Trussell organised a panel discussion with people experiencing severe hardship and a session hosted by Nish Kumar. 

The event took place on the same day the UK government published its draft welfare reform bill, and millions of the UK public nervously wait to hear how MPs will vote on £7 billion worth of cruel cuts to disabled people’s social security payments. These cuts will push 440,000 more people in disabled households into severe hardship, according to Trussell research.  

Shockingly, three in four people who come to food banks in the Trussell community are disabled or live with someone who is, as disability payments for too many people already fall short of covering the essentials, like food and heating.

Too many people are falling behind on bills, are becoming trapped in debt, and having to live in cold, damp homes. 

Trussell says this is not right, and the majority of the UK public agrees that social security payments for disabled people should be enough to cover at least the essentials. 

Representatives at the lobby told more than 150 MPs these levels of severe hardship can and must change for the better. They urged them to play their part and join Trussell, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), and more than 100 charities, in calling on the UK government to create an Essentials Guarantee. 

Steps towards achieving this include implementing a ‘full boost’ to Universal Credit, raising it by £5 a week after inflation from April 2026, not April 2029, as planned. 

They also called for their MP to back bringing in an initial low-level protected minimum floor in Universal Credit to limit all deductions from social security payments including the benefit cap, to make the government’s new Fair Repayment Rate truly effective.  

Campaigners reiterated that whatever happens, we need Universal Credit to be there for all of us when we need it and urged that their MPs cannot ignore the shockingly high levels of severe hardship in our communities.  Crucially, they highlighted the opportunity to create some positive changes, such as the boost, to help people as much as possible.  

PRESS IMAGES © Jess Hurd

Emma Revie, chief executive at Trussell, said: “With more than 700 of us travelling to Westminster, we couldn’t send a more powerful and clear message to our MPs and to the UK government.

“We will not stand by while 9.3 million of us are facing hunger and hardship. People who have experienced severe hardship, people who work in food banks and from community organisations, as well as charity partners, have gathered from all over the UK, to call for a stronger social security system.  

“The moment couldn’t be more crucial. Our event comes as we wait to hear whether MPs are going to vote to cut disabled people’s social security by £7 billion. 

“It’s time for the UK government to act , and take steps towards creating an Essentials Guarantee to ensure Universal Credit is fit for purpose and protects everyone that needs it.”  

Nish Kumar, comedian and Trussell supporter, said: “It’s been incredible to join so many people coming together with one voice to speak out against the rising tide of hunger and hardship in the UK.

“This collective action shows that change is possible when we stand together and call for a future where everyone can afford life’s essentials. 

 “I’ve seen the incredible work that food banks do to support people facing hardship, but charities cannot and should not bear the brunt of an inadequate social security system that should be there to support us. We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, yet millions of people are struggling to make ends meet.  

“We know the most important solution to ending the need for food banks – it’s about ensuring people have enough money in their pockets to put food on the table. This is a political choice, and our government has the power to end it.” 

PRESS IMAGES © Jess Hurd

Jacob Forman, director at Epping Forest Foodbank, said: “On the same day the UK government formally introduced a new bill in Parliament proposing significant cuts to support for disabled people, I was proud to stand alongside food banks in the Trussell community to demand better. Better for everyone who has been forced to use a food bank, and better for everyone who may be forced to in the future.

We know the UK public supports a future without food banks, and it’s one of the promises that this government was elected on.  

“We have not asked our MPs for the impossible. Instead, we have shared our vast experiences to highlight the actions that can genuinely change the life circumstances of the people we see every day for the better.

“As politicians sit on their benches, I hope our words resonate with them and encourage them push for a stronger social security system that ensures everyone can afford the essentials.” 

Trussell Trust lobby, Westminster, London. PRESS IMAGES © Jess Hurd

Jen Coleman, from Black Country Foodbank, a member of the Independent Food Aid Network, said: “Across the whole of the UK, a vast network of charitable food aid providers are united in their calls for the same fundamental changes to our broken social security system.

“Above all, everyone should be able to afford the essentials and a labyrinth of food banks and food pantries shouldn’t be needed to pick up the pieces.” 

On 3rd July, MPs will vote on a Bill that could push 440,000 disabled people into severe hardship. There’s still time to contact your MP and urge them to vote against these devastating cuts. 

Welfare bill ‘will protect the most vulnerable and help households with income boost’

TRUSSELL: The new Universal Credit and PIP bill will push nearly HALF A MILLION more people into severe hardship and towards the doors of food banks

Additional protections for millions of vulnerable people on benefits are set to be written into law, under new measures being introduced to Parliament yesterday [18 June 2025].

  • New welfare legislation to ensure there are robust protections in place to support the most vulnerable and severely disabled.
  • Nearly 4 million households to benefit from uprating of Universal Credit standard rate, the largest, permanent real-terms increase to basic out of work support since 1980, according to the IFS.
  • More than 200,000 people with most severe, lifelong conditions to be protected from future reassessment for Universal Credit entitlement.
  • 13-week period of financial support for those affected by PIP changes as part of upcoming welfare reforms.
  • Comes alongside £1 billion employment support package that will unlock opportunity and grow the economy as part of the Plan for Change.

The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill will provide 13-weeks of additional financial security to existing claimants affected by changes to the PIP daily living component, including those who their lose eligibility to Carers Allowance and the carer’s element of Universal Credit, according to the UK government – but charity Trussell says the bill will push nearly HALF A MILLION more people into severe hardship.

The 13-week additional protection will give people who will be affected by the changes time to adapt, access new, tailored employment support, and plan for their future once they are reassessed and their entitlement ends.

This transitional cover is one of the most generous ever and more than three times the length of protection provided for the transition from DLA to PIP.

The Labour government says it inherited a broken social security system, with costs spiralling at an unsustainable rate and millions of people trapped out of work. The case for change is stark:

  • Since the pandemic, the number of PIP awards has more than doubled – up from 13,000 a month to 34,000 a month. That is around 1,000 people signing on to PIP every day – that is roughly the size of Leicester signing up every year.
  • The surge has been largely by driven by a substantial increase in the number of people who report anxiety and depression as their main condition. Before the pandemic (in 2019), 2,500 people a month were awarded PIP for these conditions, this has more than tripled to 8,200 a month in 2023.
  • Almost 1 million young people – 1 in 8 – are not in education, employment or training.
  • 1-in-10 people of working age are now claiming a sickness or disability benefit.
  • Without reform, the number of working age people on disability benefits is set to more than double this decade to 4.3 million.
  • Spending on working age disability and incapacity benefits is up £20 billion since the pandemic and is set to increase by almost that much again by the end of this Parliament, to a staggering £70 billion a year.

Labour says that’s why, through the introduction of this Bill; the government is fixing our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so while protecting those who cannot – putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Our social security system is at a crossroads. Unless we reform it, more people will be denied opportunities, and it may not be there for those who need it.

“This legislation represents a new social contract and marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity and dignity.

“This will give people peace of mind, while also fixing our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so while protecting those who cannot – putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.”

As part of our (i.e. the Westminster govertnment’s) commitment to protect the most vulnerable and severely disabled, peace of mind will also be given to 200,000 individuals in the Severe Conditions Criteria group – individuals with the most severe and permanently disabling conditions who will never be able to work – as they will not be called for reassessed for Universal Credit (UC) under new legislation.

Those protected from reassessment will also be paid the higher rate of UC health top up of £97 per week, so they can live with dignity and security, knowing the reforms to the welfare system mean it will always be there to support them.

In the coming weeks, legislation will also be drafted for a Right to Try Guarantee. This will ensure that trying work will not, in and of itself, lead to a reassessment or award review, breaking down barriers to employment.

Reforms being delivered by the legislation introduced today go hand in hand with a £1 billion employment support package to support more people with health conditions back into work, unlocking opportunity and growing the economy as part of the Plan for Change.

Funding will offer personalised employment and health support for individuals on out of work benefits, with 500,000 people having already been supported into employment. This is a quadrupling the level of annual spend on supporting sick and disabled people into work, from the £275m in 2024/25 we inherited, to over £1bn in 2029/30.

Nearly 4 million households will also receive an income boost with the main rate of Universal Credit set to increase above inflation every year for the next four years – estimated to be worth £725 by 2029/30 for a single household 25 or over. This is around £250 higher than an inflation only increases.

The Bill will also rebalance Universal Credit rates by reducing the health element for new UC claims to £50 from April 2026, fixing a system which encourages sickness by paying health element recipients more than double the standard amount.

To open up opportunities to work, everyone affected by changes to the UC health element from April 2026 will be offered support from a dedicated Pathways to Work adviser, with 1,000 advisers in place across Britain.

All of those affected by reforms will be actively contacted and given the offer of a conversation about their support needs, goals and aspirations; offered one-to-one follow-on support, and given help to access additional work, health and skills support that can meet their needs.

The reforms build on the Get Britain Working White Paper that will overhaul Jobcentres, empower Mayors and local leaders to tackle inactivity, and deliver a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning, as part of the Government’s ambition to deliver an 80% employment rate.

Additional information

  • The Bill will introduce a new additional eligibility requirement for the daily living component of PIP so that a minimum of 4 points must be scored on at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component. It will also rebalance Universal Credit.
  • The Work and Pensions Secretary gave a speech at the IPPR on setting out the case for reforming the welfare system: Welfare reform: Speech to the IPPR by Work and Pensions Secretary – GOV.UK
  • Based on current forecasts, the rebalancing mean single households 25 or over, will see their standard allowance rise to around £106pw by the end of this parliament.
  • Current UC health top up is more than double the UC standard allowance for a single claimant.

There are 4 criteria for the healthcare professional to consider, all of which must apply for the claimant to meet the SCC, namely whether:

  • The individual’s level of function will always meet LCWRA
  • The individual’s condition will last for the rest of their life
  • There is no realistic prospect of recovery of function, and
  • The condition has been diagnosed by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional in the course of the provision of NHS services.

Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary: “Scrap damaging welfare reforms”

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has urged the UK Government to protect and enhance social security rather than making cuts.

The UK Government’s Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill has been published today, which includes the details of the first set of changes to ill-health and disability benefits. The Scottish Government will not mirror the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) changes in Adult Disability Payment in Scotland.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The UK Government’s proposed reforms will be hugely damaging to those who rely on social security support, particularly during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

“These plans have yet to be passed at Westminster, so there is still time for the UK Government to step back from this damaging policy and I strongly urge them to scrap their harmful proposals.

“The UK Government’s own analysis highlights how the proposals will push 250,000 more people across the UK into poverty – including 50,000 children. With around half of all children in poverty in Scotland living in a household with a disabled person, the changes threaten to undermine the progress that we are making to reduce child poverty, and the work of the UK Government’s Child Poverty Taskforce.

“That the UK Government is prioritising deep cuts to disabled people’s support is made even worse by their failure to abolish the two-child limit, which is estimated to have pushed more than 35,000 children into poverty since July last year.

“The reforms do not reflect the Scottish Government’s values. We will not let disabled people down or cast them aside as the UK Government has done. We will not cut Scotland’s Adult Disability Payment.

“The UK Government should follow our lead and protect the social security safety system, rather than dismantling it. If they do not, then disabled people can draw no other conclusion than the UK Government remain content to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable.”

Responding to the publication of the bill, Helen Barnard, Director of policy at Trussell said: “The UK government’s new Universal Credit and PIP bill, put before Parliament today, does almost nothing to ease the concerns of hundreds of the thousands of disabled people who fear that their social security support will be ripped from them.

“In fact, this bill will push nearly half a million more people into severe hardship and towards the doors of food banks.

“It is easy to see why so many MPs have voiced concerns about the damage this bill will do. What has been published today offers little for MPs deeply concerned about the impact of these cuts on their constituents.

“The last minute details on protections offer something for a small proportion of people, but even they will still see a real-terms cut. The reality of this bill is still record cuts in support for disabled people, and the biggest cuts to social security since 2015.

“It is shocking that MPs are being asked to vote through cuts without a full assessment of their impact, and especially worrying as we know that already three in four people referred to the Trussell community are disabled or live with someone who is.

“We know hunger and hardship already pushes up public service costs alone by £13.7 billion. MPs are being asked to vote for a Bill that will drive up hunger and hardship and undermine the UK government’s promises on economic growth and ending the need for emergency food.”

Today, the UK government published a bill, aimed at reforming the benefits system. Unfortunately, as it stands, this will be a disaster for disabled people – and is likely to worsen people’s living conditions, undermine their mental health, and increase the risk of suicide, says Mental Health Foundation.

These plans will not help reduce the number of disabled people out of work. Instead, they are counterproductive and cruel.

A more effective alternative for the government would be to move forward with its progressive policies that encourage people to return to work, such as the Right to Try scheme and improvements to support in job centres, and look at how well those work, without cutting support for disabled people.

SCOTLAND TO SCRAP THE CAP

Scottish Government scrapping the two child limit to help end child poverty

The Scottish Government will effectively scrap the impact of the two-child limit from 2nd March 2026, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has confirmed.

On a visit to Busy Bees Bellfield parent and toddler group in Portobello, Ms Somerville said the introduction of the Two Child Limit Payment will mean 20,000 fewer children will be living in relative poverty in 2026-27, according to Scottish Government modelling.

Speaking ahead of a statement to parliament on the publication of the annual report on Best Start, Bright Futures, the Scottish Government’s child poverty strategy, Ms Somerville said: “The Scottish Government has consistently called on the UK Government to end the two-child cap.

“Reports suggest that they are looking at the impact it is having. But the evidence is clear and families and Scotland can’t wait any longer for the UK Government to make up its mind to do the right thing and scrap the cap once and for all.

“The Two Child Limit Payment will begin accepting applications in March next year. At less than 15 months from when we announced this in the Scottish budget, this will be the fastest that a Scottish social security benefit has been delivered.

“This builds upon the considerable action we have taken in Scotland, including delivering unparalleled financial support through our Scottish Child Payment, investing to clear school meal debts, and continuing to support almost 10,000 children by mitigating the UK Government’s Benefit Cap as fully as possible.

“However, austerity decisions taken by the UK Government are holding back Scotland’s progress. Modelling published in March makes clear that if the UK Government act decisively on child poverty, they could help to take an estimated 100,000 children out of poverty this year.”

The two child limit cap was introduced by the UK Conservative Government in 2017. Since their Westminster victory last year Keir Starmer’s Labour government has refused to scrap the cap.

Resilence Fund support for city’s small third sector organisations

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: FRIDAY 4 JULY 1pm

Phase 2 of the City of Edinburgh Council Resilience Fund aims to provide short-term support to small and medium third sector organisations in Edinburgh that work to end poverty.

Grants: Up to £10,000

Deadline: Fri 4 Jul, 1pm

Phase 2 aims to provide short-term support to small and medium third sector organisations in Edinburgh that work to end poverty. The fund helps organisations facing financial difficulties maintain their services and financial stability during 2025/26.

Eligibility criteria 

To be eligible for this funding organisations must

  • deliver activities which address or prevent poverty and which align with the city’s End Poverty in Edinburgh framework (further details about this can be found in the fund specification)
  • be headquartered in Edinburgh
  • have registered charitable status or be a non-profit distributing organisation
  • have a gross annual income of less than £500k
  • be experiencing financial challenges, for example
    • an unexpected drop in grant funding or other income
    • an unexpected increase in running or delivery costs, or
    • an unexpected increase in service demand
  • not be in receipt of funding from the Council through Phase 1 of the Third Sector Resilience Fund or the Income Maximisation Grant Programme.

Organisations can apply for up to £10,000 from this phase of funding. Funding can be used to support core costs or to maintain service delivery where this is at risk from the loss of expected grant funding, increased costs or unexpected increases in demand.

You will find detailed information in the Third Sector Resilience Fund Specification and a summary in our Frequently Asked Questions.

How to apply

To apply, please complete our online form.

Before submitting your application, you will need to confirm that you have read

Please attach a copy of your most recent years Annual Accounts via email to policyandinsight@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Applications close at 1pm on the 4th of July 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact policyandinsight@edinburgh.gov.uk

Teachers warn new school uniforms are too costly for too many families

The Leith Collective launches free school uniform exchange to help pupils in need

Many families in Edinburgh are finding the cost of purchasing a new school uniform completely unaffordable.

For some children, this means going to school in an ill-fitting or worn-out uniform. For others, it means resorting to wearing non-school uniform items. Standing out from their peers in this way has the potential to result in a negative school experience and can impact a pupil’s ability to learn and thrive. 

That’s according to The Leith Collective, who have been approached by a growing number of teachers and parents calling for help.

And so, as the current school term draws to a close, this Community Interest Company is launching a free school uniform exchange, so every pupil can start the new term in August with everything they need to see them through a successful school year.

Taking place at The Leith Collective stores in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal and Fort Kinnaird as well as the Livingston Designer Outlet and Dundee’s Overgate, the team behind this initiative are asking locals to donate good quality uniforms, coats, gym kits, shoes, schoolbags, pencil cases and any other school essentials so they can distribute them to those in need. 

But that’s not all. The Leith Collection is calling on local businesses to donate surplus stock where possible, with those taking part in the exchange receiving a community support certificate in recognition of their contribution.

Speaking ahead of the launch, The Leith Collective founder, Sara Thomson said; “From an environmental point of view, it is so important to keep good quality uniforms out of landfill and in use for as long as possible.

“And from a personal point of view, I’ve heard first-hand accounts from teachers and parents about what a negative effect it can have on families when they simply can’t afford school essentials, and it’s heartbreaking. 

“This is the third year we’re running our free school uniform exchange and people need it more than ever. That’s why we’re widening our call this year and asking for businesses to get on board too to help those in need.”

People can donate and collect items, no questions asked, at The Leith Collective in Ocean Terminal, Fort Kinnaird, Livingston Designer Outlet and Overgate during opening hours. The hope is to help as many pupils as possible get off to the best possible start when the new academic year begins in August.

Grant funding targets heritage for all

HES’s annual grants report, published today (Wednesday 11 June) as part of Scotland’s Historic Environment Forum, shows a significant increase in support for projects in Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Investment through HES grant programmes in areas in the most deprived quintile of Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) account for 20% (20.9%) of the total £12.4 million funding package administered by the public body.

The SIMD is the Scottish Government’s standard approach to measuring deprivation and looks at the extent to which an area is deprived across multiple domains, including income and employment.

£2.5 million of HES’s grant funding for 2024-25 was awarded to projects in the most deprived 20% SIMD, beating the previous figure of 6.34% by a significant margin. This figure surpasses previous years and speaks to HES’s Heritage for All vision set out in its new Corporate Plan 2025-28.

HES is committed to using insights from its annual grants report to refine and enhance its funding approach, promoting greater transparency and helping the organisation’s ambition to achieve equitable grant distribution.

The most popular type of grant awarded to these areas was HES’s express grants (up to £25,000). These grants are open to applications year-round with a target ten-week turnaround period. This programme of funding is vital for communities to be able to repair, care for and cherish their historic environment.

Projects successfully awarded express grants in the past year include the Whithorn and the Machars Pilot Archaeology Field School (hero image), where 51 pupils worked on excavating in one of the de-turfed areas of Sinniness, and the community of Luing and surrounding areas where a HES express grant funded guided tours, art demonstrations, multilingual song and more, all in celebration of Luing’s slate heritage past and its future.

With in-house experts on everything from traditional thatching to archaeological fieldwork, HES offers bespoke advice and works closely with projects to establish early success. This is vital for building confidence in new entrants who have not worked with the historic environment before and helps set them up for further success with more ambitious projects that may be eligible for larger grants.

Almost 50% of the overall funding (48.49%) went towards area-based regeneration schemes, including the successful Heritage and Place Programme which funds community-led regeneration projects.

In the past year the programme has celebrated projects such as the revitalisation of Granton Waterfront in Edinburgh, the development of a state-of-the-art heritage quarter in Forres, and more. These projects demonstrate how investment in heritage can help support local economies and enrich communities’ sense of place.

Alison Turnbull, Director of External Relations and Partnerships, said: “For too long, heritage funding has mirrored the inequalities we see in wider society. Our ‘Heritage for All’ vision means we seek to allocate our grants equitably to ensure our historic environment belongs to everyone.

“By working with communities in the most deprived SIMD quintile, we increase the diversity of voices and projects in the historic environment. We are committed to supporting projects that include a wide variety of people in decision-making about their heritage.

“We encourage new entrants to heritage projects in particular to reach out and learn how we can help you engage with and look after the heritage in your community.”

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “This report highlights the real impact that investment in our historic environment can have in addressing inequalities and supporting regeneration in communities that need it most.

“By targeting funding towards the most deprived areas, Historic Environment Scotland is helping to unlock opportunities, support skills development and bring people together through a shared connection to place and heritage.

“This level of progress is welcome and reaffirms the commitment to ensuring that our historic environment is accessible, inclusive and benefits everyone across Scotland.”

‘Cruel Cuts’: Trussell urges UK government to think again

15,000 people in disabled households in Scotland will be forced into severe hardship if the UK government goes ahead with cuts to social security, warns Trussell

  • New report reveals hundreds of thousands of people will be pushed into severe hardship if government goes ahead with ‘cruel’ cuts to disability payments
  • 15,000 more people in disabled households will be at risk of needing to use a food bank

New analysis from anti-poverty charity Trussell has found that 15,000 people in disabled households across Scotland will be forced into severe hardship and at risk of needing a food bank in 2029/30, if the UK government goes ahead with planned cuts to social security.

The report – produced by economic and public policy experts WPI Economics for Trussell – models the projected impact of proposed changes to social security for disabled people on the number of people facing hunger and hardship in Scotland, a measure of deep poverty which captures people at risk of needing to use a food bank now or in the future.

This new analysis comes just weeks after it was revealed that almost 240,000 emergency food parcels were distributed by the Trussell community across Scotland during the past year. This is equivalent to one parcel every two minutes and a 101% increase compared to a decade ago.

Across the UK, it is projected that 440,000 people in disabled households will be forced into severe hardship. It also shows that the UK government’s planned increase to the basic rate of Universal Credit will move 95,000 people out of severe hardship – which Trussell says is clear evidence this welcome step cannot possibly make up for the sheer scale of the damage of cuts. The net impact of reforms will still be around 340,000 more people in disabled households facing hunger and hardship.

Trussell warns that UK government’s proposed £7 billion cuts to support for disabled people are likely to undermine its goal of increasing employment and will drive higher costs for public services.

Trussell and WPI Economics have shown that even before these cuts, the ongoing failure to tackle hunger and hardship leads to the Scottish government spending an additional £860m a year on public services alone, like the NHS, schools and children’s social care.

As MPs prepare to vote on legislation to introduce the cuts, Trussell is urging the UK government to think again and halt these damaging cuts to support for disabled people. They will be condemning hundreds of thousands of people to severe hardship and piling the pressure on food banks across the country, which are already stretched to breaking point.

As well as axing the proposed cuts, Trussell is calling on the UK government to bring forward the planned increase to the basic rate of Universal Credit so it comes into full effect from April 2026, rather than April 2029.

Cara Hilton, senior policy manager for Scotland at Trussell, said: “This UK government was elected on a promise of change, and with a commitment to end the need for food banks. If the government goes ahead with these ill-considered and cruel cuts to social security, this promise will not be kept – and instead, they will risk leaving behind a legacy of rising poverty and hunger.

“Tackling fiscal challenges should not be done at the expense of people already facing hunger and hardship. These cuts will force 440,000 people in disabled households into severe hardship and leave them at risk of needing a food bank. We urge the government not to continue down this damaging path.

“We support the plan to reform employment support and help more people into work, where their health allows this and accessible jobs are available, but these proposed cuts will utterly undermine this goal. Slashing support will damage people’s health and reduce their ability to engage in training and work.”

Craig Crosthwaite, manager at North Ayrshire Foodbank, said: “Most days we see people coming to the food bank who have a disability or are caring for someone with a disability in their household.

“Social security payments do not allow people to afford the essentials, and this is amplified when you are also dealing with the extra costs of managing a disability. Life simply costs more for disabled people.  We fear that should these cuts be forced through Parliament, we will see many more people being forced to access our help.”

You can find out how many emergency food parcels were distributed in your area, and write to your MP to express your concerns at these cruel cuts, on the Trussell website: https://campaign.trussell.org.uk/parcels-by-postcode

hunger_and_hardship_final_report (1)Download

£5.5 million for ‘Extra Time’ football partnership with SFA

Funding boost for activities clubs for children from low income families

Funding of £5.5 million for the Extra Time programme, which provides free activities clubs before school, after school and during the school holidays for primary age pupils, will support families on low incomes outwith school.

On a visit to the St Mirren Charitable Foundation’s Extra Time service at Kirklandneuk Primary School in Renfrew, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville saw how the programme is helping parents to get into and stay in work or training, or increase their working hours.

The 2025 Extra Time Evaluation Report, published today by the Scottish FA, highlights the potential for the scheme to support the Scottish Government’s priorities of growing the economy and eradicating child poverty.

Ms Somerville said: “The Extra Time programme is helping us to better understand how providing activities clubs before school, after school and during the holidays can improve outcomes for families on low incomes by supporting parents into work, training, studying or providing respite.

“We are increasing our funding by £1.5 million to invest £5.5 million this year to expand the Extra Time Programme – increasing the number of football clubs and trusts we are working with from 31 to 53. This national programme will provide around 5,000 children and their families on low incomes with access to vital services.

“The evaluation demonstrates that, as well as helping realise our priorities in growing the economy and eradicating child poverty, the Extra Time programme is supporting kids with their school attendance and attainment, helping tackle food insecurity and improving children’s health and wellbeing.”

Ian Maxwell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association, said: “Today’s announcement of increased funding for the Extra Time programme is a significant boost, and testament to the success of the initiative and the impact it continues to have on families across the country.

“While this may be a football-based programme, with obvious health and education benefits to children who participate, the positive effects of Extra Time are felt throughout the entire family and it is another example of how the power of football makes a tangible difference across Scotland.

“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for this additional investment which will allow clubs to continue to bring Extra Time to life. It’s a hugely worthwhile programme and something we’re delighted to be involved in.”

Scottish FA Extra Time impact report

Spending Review: Charities urge Chancellor to abolish two-child limit

In advance of the Spending Review, Child Poverty Action Group have joined with other organisations to urge the chancellor to make a firm commitment that the two-child limit and the benefit cap will be abolished as part of the Autumn Budget.

Read our letter to the Chancellor:

Poverty Alliance: Child Maintenance Service ‘failing far too many children’

#ChildMaintenance is a vital tool to support children on low incomes. But the system isn’t working for too many households. We can make it better.

Read the Poverty Alliance research with@FifeGingerbread and others – supported by the @RobertsonTrust:

https://povertyalliance.org/child-maintenance/

Child-Maintenance-Report-FinalDownload