Scottish Poverty

A new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation  says that, "poverty in Scotland is rising, from an already unacceptably high level. More people are facing situations where they cannot afford the basics nor play a full role in society."

According to the latest official figures, just over one million people in Scotland are living in poverty, including 240,000 children - which is the same as one in four children.

The Resolution Foundation, who have also been involved with the study, predict that poverty will rise to 29% by 2023-24. They say this is because of cuts to financial support and help from by the UK government, called social security.

Poverty measured before housing costs (things like rent or mortgage, energy bills and council tax) is very similar between Scotland and the rest of the UK. However, when poverty is measured after housing costs there are significant differences in poverty levels, with lower levels in Scotland than in the rest of the UK overall. This is mainly because, on average, houses cost less in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. The report warns that the Scottish government needs to focus on increasing the amount of affordable houses in the country.

The latest data shows that 20% of Scots are in poverty after housing costs compared with 22% in the rest of the UK. This difference is biggest for children whose poverty rate currently stands at 24% in Scotland compared with 30% in the rest of the UK.