MSP CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION AS 1 MILLION SCOTS LIVE IN POVERTY
MSP CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION AS 1 MILLION SCOTS LIVE IN POVERTY

Dumbarton Constituency MSP, Jackie Baillie, has called on the SNP Government to take urgent action as a new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has revealed that 1 million people in Scotland are living in poverty.

The figures include 230,000 children, 140,000 pensioners and 630,000 working age people. And almost half of those who are of working age are living in poverty despite coming from working homes.

Scottish Labour has restated its call to lift the two-child cap and increase Child Benefit by £5 per week and has the opportunity to do so as early as this week as part of the Scottish Government budget.

Jackie said:

“The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report demonstrates the scale of poverty and inequality in Scotland and underlines the need for a Scottish Government budget that takes urgent action to lift people out of poverty.

“Behind the statistics are real people who are struggling to cope with the stress and disruption of living in poverty. Hundreds of thousands of children and pensioners are struggling to keep up with the costs of everyday living. And our economy is clearly not working when more than 300,000 people in working households are in poverty.

“The Scottish Government should use the powers of the parliament to make different choices and help lift people out of poverty.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Scottish Data from the JRF report:

           
  Scotland        
    2014/15-2016/17 5 Year change 10 Year change 20 Year change
91 People in poverty 1,000,000 90,000 40,000 -180,000
91 Poverty Rate 19% 1% 0% -5%
93 UK poverty rate 22% 0% 0% -3%
           
91 Children in poverty 230,000 20,000 -10,000 -120,000
91 Poverty rate 24% 2% -1% -8%
93 UK poverty rate 30% 2% 0% -3%
           
91 Working-age people in poverty 630,000 60,000 60,000 70,000
91 Poverty Rate 19% 1% 1% 1%
93 UK poverty rate 21% 0% 1% 1%
           
91 Pensioners in poverty 140,000 20,000 -10,000 -130,000
91 Poverty rate 13% 2% -2% -18%
93 UK poverty rate 15% 1% -2% -13%
           
52 Children in single parent families in poverty 90,000 0 -20,000 -50,000
52 Poverty rate 41% 5% -3% -22%
54 UK poverty rate 47% 4% -5% -17%
           
39 Children in couple parent families in poverty 140,000 20,000 10,000 -70,000
39 Poverty rate 19% 2% 1% -5%
41 UK poverty rate 25% 1% 2% 0%
           
13 Children in workless families in poverty 80,000 -30,000 -50,000 -120,000
13 Poverty rate 64% 0% -8% -17%
15 UK poverty rate 70% 2% -5% -12%
           
26 Children in working families in poverty 150,000 40,000 30,000 0
26 Poverty rate 18% 5% 4% 0%
28 UK poverty rate 23% 3% 4% 5%
           
91 Working-age parents in poverty 220,000 20,000 10,000 -50,000
91 Poverty rate 21% 2% 0% -4%
93 UK poverty rate 25% 1% 1% -1%
           
91 Working-age non-parents in poverty 410,000 40,000 50,000 120,000
91 Poverty rate 19% 1% 1% 4%
93 UK poverty rate 19% -1% 1% 2%
           
Link to Instagram Link to Twitter Link to YouTube Link to Facebook Link to LinkedIn Link to Snapchat Close Fax Website Location Phone Email Calendar Building Search