Latest research – SNP policies kick in to make destitution significantly less common in Scotland

From the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Destitution in the UK 2023 report today:

There has been a shameful increase in the level of destitution in the UK, with a growing number of people struggling to afford to meet their most basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed. This has deep and profound impacts on people’s health, mental health and prospects; it also puts strain on already overstretched services. This study, the fourth in the Destitution in the UK series, reveals that approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including around one million children. This is almost two-and-a-half times the number of people in 2017 and nearly triple the number of children. Such high and increasing levels of destitution have no place in a country like ours.

The report’s Key messages are:

  • Destitution has increased in all regions.
  • London had the highest overall destitution scores in 2022, driven by having high levels in the migrant and UK-other categories.
  • Lower scores characterised the three southern English regions across all three groups and overall.
  • Scotland’s position had improved, with by far the lowest increase since 2019.

Scotland has improved its position to lie below the GB average, having experienced by far the lowest increase since 2019. This may be indicative of the growing divergence in welfare benefits policies in Scotland, notably the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment (from 2021)

The report does not mention, Scotland’s free prescriptions, school meals, tuition, bedroom tax compensation, greater housing cost affordability, greater affordable housing building or free transport for under 22’s.

1.31% of households in London are destitute, the average for England is 0.93%, for Wales it’s 0.9% and for Scotland, 0.8%.

These percentage differences may seem small but mean thousands in Scotland lifted out poverty by SNP governance, thousands left in it in Wales under Labour and tens of thousands left in it in England under the Tories.

Remember, this has been achieved with only partial control over the economy.

Examples from the report highlight how this is taking place:

One interviewee based in Scotland mentioned the free meals provision over the school holidays (see mygov.scot, 2023), which she identified as having significant benefits for her children:
“… because my children are under a set age, the Scottish … free school meals, so that’s helped. Our local area runs holiday lunches through the council’s school meals programme, so that actually helps … make[s] sure they get more than the one meal or whatever, and our school runs a breakfast club as well.”
Woman, aged 25–45.

and:

Scottish Child Payment
The Scottish Child Payment is a £25 per week payment received for every child who is under 16 years of age when the parent(s) are eligible (mygov.scot, 2022). There was only one participant in our qualitative research who was in receipt of this payment. She explained that this extra payment did help to ensure that her children had clothes suitable for the weather:
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“… it goes towards the shopping bills and it makes it easier to buy the children’s clothes … It does help … especially at my kids’ age – they go through a lot of clothes. It just makes it easier for, to keep the children in warmer clothes and in the right sizes, so it helps with it, obviously, some of the children’s payments …”
Woman, aged 25–45.
However, this interviewee went on to say that the free school meals, including over holiday periods, that she was able to access for her children meant far more to her, as at least she knew that her children were being fed appropriately.

Only one participant in receipt of Child Payment in the study? That must then be understating its impact.

Reporting Scotland will have to work hard on this one.

19 thoughts on “Latest research – SNP policies kick in to make destitution significantly less common in Scotland”

  2. SG initiatives have undoubtedly eased financial pressures on the least well off in Scottish society, but the fact that so many live on the cusp of financial ruin is a feature of UK governments not the exception.

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  4. I find that sample of 1 receiving Child benefit strange in a survey dealing with destitution, where were they conducting this survey? Morningside!

    Golfnut

    Liked by 2 people

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    2. Yes. I saw that too. I downloaded the JRF report from their website and in their survey responses replies section they say only ONE person had told them they were in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment!

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  5. There is one fast growing area of poverty in Scotland.

    Impoverished JOURNALISM !…… Scotland is:–

    Where nationalism is only ever Scottish.
    Where council tax cuts are applauded when English and denounced when Scottish.
    Where separating from a Union is “taking back control”, but joining the world is “separatism”!
    Where people can be arrested but not named unless they are SNP.
    Where the exposure of NHS fraudulent stats in England and Wales are totally ignored.

    And so on……………………………..

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  6. Sounds like an old western movie—“Destitution rides again”!

    What will Sheriff Starmer do when the Destitute Gang come to town”.

    “Ah tell yuz boys, Ah iz the fastest draw in the West, but ah aint gut no ammo in this here gun o’mine”!

    “What ya gonna do then, Sheriff, agin this destitute outlaw stuff”?
    “Yu sayz yu widda clean up this here town o’ destitution”!

    “Ahz a’gunna’ do zackly what Sheriff Sunak did, boyz.
    Nut a ting he could do, an’ ahza sharin’in the same darn sentiment”!

    “Am a’gunna sit right here on this rocker, on ma No10 porch, an’ watch this here sun go down”! “These poor folks iz a’ alaways out there, beggin’ ‘n scrapin’ ‘n stealin’ stuff. Best jiz keepin’ um to theyz side o’ the tracks”!
    No nuttin’ I, or the 470 MP deputies in ma possie can do for ’em, no matter whit we sayz a whiles back, in the sheriff election”!

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      1. One hundred channels of old stuff.

        Watch “Hattie” Baillie and “Kenneth” Marra star with “Sid” Sarwar in a repeat of “Carry On up the Starmer Flip-Flop” movie on all the Britnat channels.

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  7. Child payments, personal care, affordable housing, kinship payments, support for students etc, etc. Scotland raises £87Billion in revenues. Spends £54Billion. Westminster spends and wastes the rest. £33Billion.

    Westminster raises £731Billion in revenues. spends £1090Billion. Scotland raises more and spends less. Ends up poorer. Westminster wasts and mismanages the rest. £100Billion more is borrowed and spent in the rest of the UK. Pro rata £10Billion. Scotland has to make repayments on the debt not borrowed or spent in Scotland. Westminster loses£100Billion because of Brexit. Scotland loses £10Billion.

    Scotland would need to spend £100Billion for parity. Scotland cannot borrow. The Barnett Formula fraud. The UK the most unequal place in the world,

    UK\Scottish Gov Accounts.

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