The Poverty and Inequality Commission’s survey on local areas’ experiences of food insecurity during the coronavirus crisis is now live.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Survey_Local_Action_Food_Security_Scotland

This is a follow-up to our previous work with frontline organisations which we carried out at the start of April. We are asking local community organisations across Scotland to complete this online survey to find out more about any challenges and to identify emerging good practice.

We are hoping to reach as many community organisations as possible so please do share the link provided or retweet from our twitter account. Your opinions and experiences matter to us.

We will share the findings within two weeks of the survey closing and will publish them on our website.

Professor McKendrick of the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit at Glasgow Caledonian University is administering this survey on behalf of the Commission. The closing date is Friday 22nd May.

For further information, please feel free to contact Professor McKendrick or contact info@povertyinequality.scot

Bill Scott, Chair of the Poverty and Inequality Commissions responds to Scottish Government poverty statistics read here

The Poverty and Inequality Commission writes to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government to offer support with the current Covid-19 crisis.

Download: Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government

The Poverty and Inequality Commission have written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the 5 week wait for Universal Credit.

Download: Letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Bill Scott, Chair of the Poverty and Inequality Commission, has today written to the UK and Scottish Governments to call for further action to reduce the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on people on low incomes.

Commenting on the letters, Bill said:

“The coronavirus outbreak risks driving more people into poverty as those who are sick or self-isolating lose pay. While I welcome the action that has been taken by the UK and Scottish Governments so far, more action is needed to protect the self-employed and low earners, who are least likely to have savings to support them through loss of earnings or a waiting period for Universal Credit.

“That’s why I wrote to Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey calling on her to extend Statutory Sick Pay to the two million workers who earn less than £118 per week and to the self-employed.

“Now that we have moved into the delay phase of the outbreak, I am also asking her to immediately lift work search requirements which may require people to use libraries and other communal settings in order to access a computer. This would reduce the risk of people spreading coronavirus by complying with work search requirements.

“I have also written to the First Minister to ask what contingency plans are in place to ensure that children who would normally receive a free school meal will continue to have access to free meals if a decision is taken to close schools.”

Copies of both letters are attached.

Letter to First Minister – Impact of coronavirus

Letter to Sec State Work and Pensions – Impact of coronavirus

The Poverty and inequality Commission is delighted to announce Professor Morag Treanor as the Deputy Chair of the Commission read biography here.

As part of the EIS’s activity surrounding Challenge Poverty Week 2019 they interviewed Bill Scott, Chair of the Commission find the link here to the short film: https://www.eis.org.uk/Child-Poverty/BillScott

More than 300 organisations have taken part, organising over 400 events across Scotland! Supporters included 15 faith leaders, 20 local authorities, schools, football clubs, businesses, politicians, trade unions, third sector, public sector, think tanks and community activists. An amazing variety of supporters that have added their voices to the Poverty Alliance campaign asking for more radical action to loosen the grip of poverty on people’s lives. For a glimpse of the activities, you can scroll down the Poverty Alliances twitter feed https://twitter.com/CPW_Scotland

And if you haven’t seen their campaign animation yet, you can find it here: https://vimeo.com/359290385/f1e7942f39

The new Poverty and Inequality Commission has been established as an advisory non-departmental public body from 1 July 2019. We are pleased to announce that the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Aileen Campbell, has appointed seven members to the Commission for a three year period. An eighth member will be appointed later this year. They are:

Read moreMembers appointed to the Poverty and Inequality Commission