One in five families in Scotland 'going hungry and cold'

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (JRF) annual Poverty in Scotland report, which features tales of people cutting back on the basics just to survive, warns that families face the ‘fiercest attack’ on our standard of living in our lifetime with energy bills having doubled in less than 18 months and inflation at over 10 per cent.

One respondent said, ‘‘[She asked] “Why can't we get more food Mummy?” and I broke down in tears and just left the room because I just couldn’t answer her... But to have to explain to your five-year-old why you can’t buy more food is actually horrendous.’

Another said, ‘I am scared to wean my baby when I look at the cost of food, I know I should be introducing food but I am delaying that as long as possible.’

It is based upon interviews with 4,196 adults in Scotland between 11 July and 2 August 2022, carried out by Savanta ComRes.

Key findings include:

• More than one in five (23 per cent) people felt their household financial situation was ‘very insecure’.
• One in 10 households, equivalent to a quarter of a million households in Scotland, would not be able to pay an unexpected bill of £200 in any way.
• Half of all adults reported the cost-of-living crisis has had a negative impact on their mental health.
• Three in four families with a child where someone has a disability, and more than two-in-three single parent families reported a negative impact on their mental health due to the cost-of-living crisis. This rose to four-in-five families with a baby.
• One in three adults said the cost-of-living is impacting their physical health, rises to nearly half of adults in households with children where someone has a disability or that are led by single parents.
• Childcare continues to be a source of frustration, with the lack of availability and flexibility seen as a ‘real block’ to improving living standards.

The JRF warns that ‘Without further Government support, this winter and 2023 will be etched into the memories of families across Scotland. Deep scars will be caused by hunger, cold and trauma.’

It goes on to make a number of recommendations, they are:

• For the UK Government to immediately uprate all means-tested benefits by the current rate of inflation, rather than waiting until April.
• For the Scottish Government to maintain current tax levels and use available funds to ease the cost of living for low-income households. In particular, a one-off payment should be made of £260 to all Scottish Child Payment recipients and all Council Tax Reduction recipients as soon as possible.
• For all public services in Scotland to show the same forbearance on debts they did during the Covid-19 pandemic. They should far more vigorously advertise the availability of cash support and their services.