A report said that people in Scotland were experiencing a variety of difficulties when attempting to access basic bank accounts – particularly because of undischarged bankruptcy or poor credit histories.
Source: Alizeh Hussain, Banking on the Basics, Citizens Advice Scotland
Links: Report | CAS press release
Date: 2010-Nov
The Scottish Government began consultation on the development of a new child poverty strategy.
Source: Tackling Child Poverty in Scotland: A discussion paper, Scottish Government
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2010-Nov
Research into the financial impact of effective early years support for children in Scotland found that it could save the public purse up to £131 million a year in the medium term.
Source: The Financial Impact of Early Years Interventions in Scotland, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Scottish Government press release
Date: 2010-Nov
A report said that poverty remained a major problem for asylum-seekers in Scotland who gained refugee status. Refugees struggled with low incomes; had difficulty finding jobs, because their skills or qualifications were not recognized; sent money to support family members in their country of origin despite having very little themselves; and experienced social isolation and a lack of social support.
Source: Kate Lindsay, Refugees' Experiences and Views of Poverty in Scotland, Scottish Refugee Council
Links: Report | SRC press release | Glasgow University press release | Morning Star report
Date: 2010-Oct
An annual assessment of poverty in Scotland was published, based on the latest official government data. Unemployment in Scotland had surpassed that in England, having been markedly lower at the start of the recession. In terms of employment, the impact of the recession had also been bigger on men than women, with a shift from full- to part-time jobs. Scotland's child poverty rate had risen by 2 per cent in the previous year, compared with just 1 per cent in England.
Source: Anushree Parekh, Peter Kenway and Tom MacInnes, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Scotland 2010, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report | Summary | JRF press release | SNP press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Sep
The Scottish Government published a discussion document and evidence review on financial capability – early intervention aimed at promoting financial inclusion.
Source: Scottish Government Financial Inclusion Team, Achieving Better Co-ordination in Scotland, Scottish Government | Ronald McQuaid and Valerie Egdell, Financial Capability: Evidence Review, Scottish Government
Links: Discussion paper | Evidence review
Date: 2010-Aug
A paper examined the impact that raising the minimum level of public sector pay in Scotland would have on the share of national income received by those on the lowest incomes. It then examined the effects that raising the wages of low-paid groups would have on disposable household incomes, by looking at the interaction between wages and the tax and benefits systems.
Source: Low Pay and Income Inequality in Scotland, Scottish Government
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Jul
A report called for the employment and support allowance to be reviewed. It said that thousands of seriously sick and disabled people in Scotland had been put under pressure to find work or lose their benefit. Around 70 per cent of appeals against assessments under the allowance had been successful.
Source: Keith Dryburgh, Unfit for Purpose, Citizens Advice Scotland
Links: Report | Community Care report | BBC report
Date: 2010-May
A set of reports explored a range of issues experienced by children in Scotland in the first five years of their lives including poverty, child health, behavioural development, and maternal mental health. Over the first 4-5 years of their lives, approximately 3 in 10 young Scottish children were classified as living in poverty in any one year.
Source: Matt Barnes, Jenny Chanfreau and Wojtek Tomaszewski, Growing up in Scotland: The Circumstances of Persistently Poor Children, Scottish Government | Louise Marryat and Claudia Martin, Growing Up in Scotland: Maternal Mental Health and its Impact on Child Behaviour and Development, Scottish Government | Catherine Bromley and Sarah Cunningham-Burley, Growing Up In Scotland: Health Inequalities in the Early Years, Scottish Government | Paul Bradshaw and Sarah Tipping, Growing Up in Scotland: Children's Social, Emotional and Behavioural Characteristics at Entry to Primary School, Scottish Government
Links: Report (1) | Summary (1) | Report (2) | Summary (2) | Report (3) | Summary (3) | Report (4) | Summary (4) | Scottish Government press release | BBC report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs said that banks in Scotland were continuing to use 'unfair and aggressive' tactics towards some customers who had fallen into debt.
Source: Banking in Scotland, Second Report (Session 2009-10), HC 70, House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Mar
