SUPPORT
In addition to your includem worker, you can also contact the following organisations:
Offerinformationandadvice throughonlinehandbooks,articles andeLearningcoursesonarangeof topicsincludingbenefits administeredbySocialSecurity Scotlandandmore
cpag.org.uk
Youcanfindoutwhatbenefitsyou maybeabletoclaimforthroughthe useofthisfreebenefitschecker. Youʼllreceiveanestimateofyour entitlementtobenefits.Beforeyou startmakesuretogather informationaboutyourincome, saving,pensionsandanyother benefitsyou(andyourpartner)may alreadybereceiving.
entitledto.co.uk
Informationaboutthe differenttypesofbenefits availableinScotland.
mygov.sot
Offerfreeadviceandsupport arounddebtonwhatisright foryouandyourfamily.
stepchange.org
Thisfreeonlinetoolhelps youkeeptrackofyour moneyandsuggestsways youcouldimproveyour finances.
moneyhelper.org.uk
Offersguidesandtoolsto helpyougetthebestdealson yourhouseholdbillsfromthe MoneySavingExpertMartinLewis.
moneysavingexpert.com
Canprovidesupportwith claimingbenefits,housing adviceandmore.
cas org uk
In this
issue
Timeline of Events
What You Told Us
What You Said
Our Recommendations
Hello!
Last year, we put out a survey your experiences of managing your family finances as costs for essential items continue to rise.
Get in Touch
There are different ways to get in touch with us:
Scan the QR Codes to give us your views on things
Tell your includem worker what your thoughts are on any of the items in this issue.
We wanted to understand how you, the amilies we work with, are affected by this and what impact managing your household inances has on your mental health, the health of your family, and also if it affects education and housing.
One of the things we do at includem is nfluencing and engagement work. That means we try to get decision-makers, MSPs, Local authority leaders and MPs to hear about your experiences to try and bring about change.
We want to amplify your voices wherever we can, so your voices and experience are at the heart of the changes that are made.
To do this well, we rely on information from you about what is going well and what needs to be better. We need your suggestions for change. No one knows about your life better than you do.
Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey.
You can see what people told us in this special edition of URSPACE.
Martyn
Martyn Walker Communications & Public Affairs Manager
Timeline of Events
Our Response
As part of our Transforming Lives campaign, we have been working to amplify your voices with decisionmakers. That means telling MPs and MSPs the things you have told us are working well, and what is not working well and need to change.
While the Scottish and UK Governments are talking about working to end child poverty, we think it’s important that they hear directly from you about your experiences.
This is one of the reasons why we launched our family finances research last year.
Meeting with Natalie Don-Innes MSP, Minister for Children and Young People and The Promise about our report - February 2025
New Governments
In May 2024 John Swinney MSP said that his priority as First Minister of Scotland is to end children in Scotland living in poverty. In Scotland poverty is measured by how much money a family has after they have paid for their housing. Keir Starmer MP, the Prime Minister elected in June 2024 said the UK Government is also focused on making sure no child grows up in poverty.
He set up what is called a Child Poverty Taskforce. The taskforce is made up of people and organisations from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and their goal is to work together to make this happen.
Report Launches
We are going to make sure that as many people as possible read it and know about our report.
To do this we will share it across our social media channels and with partner organisations. We are going to set up meetings with MSPs and MPs about this and tell the First Minister John Swinney MSP and the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, Natalie Don-Innes MSP about it. We want them to make changes based on your experiences.
In our next edition of URSPACE we will let you know about any updates on the report and what we think will happen next with some of the recommendations.
The Survey
As part of our survey, we asked basic information about you and your household:
LOCATION
INCOME
We also asked how many times in the past year you had struggled to pay for essential items, cover your bills, and save for a rainy day.
We also wanted to know how managing finances affected you and your family’s physical and mental health and if you ever felt judged.
Finally, we gave you the option to tell us what change you wanted to see to make your life better!
Turn the page to see the results!
What You Told Us!
saidthatSocialSecurity wasyourmainsourceof income. 57% 69%
told us you struggled to pay for food.
76% saidyou struggledto payfor toiletries.
lived in Social Housing. 57%
76% saidyou struggledto payyour energybills! struggled to pay your bills. 63%
struggled to pay for internet access. 69%
60% saidyou struggled withcosts associated withchildren. 52% struggledtopay forcostsrelated toschool.
struggled to pay for transport. 63%
What You Told Us!
saidyourfinanceshad worsenedforyour family. 64% 58%
told us that your family’s physical health had worsened.
said your debt had increased. 48%
75% worriedabout affordingdayto-daycosts
68%
78%
toldusyour family’smental healthhad gottenworse.
told us you had felt judged, ignored or treated unfairly due to their finances.
saidyoucannotsave moneyforaholiday orarainyday. struggled to pay for unexpected costs. 40%
62%
What You Said!
It’saconstantworryandan emotionalturmoilonhowto affordthingsandkeepthings runningandmentalhealthis deterioratingrapidly.
It’sbeenhard,wegotevicted outourfamilyhomeInowlive insupportedaccommodation, mymumsuffersfrom depressionIhaveadhd.
bIcan'tseeanythinggetting etter, Idoworryabouther sgrowingupinthisworldas hehasherownproblems.
Itaffectsmymentalhealth enormously.Always ehavingtomakesureIhave kverythingIneedforthe idsandthehouse .
What You Said!
Can't sleep at night. aEnergycosts sreastruggle ometimes.
“Iworrythatmychildren won'tbefedatschool. Thatwewillbeevicted fromourhome!”
Our Recommendations
Immediately we need to see...
Urgent funding of children and young people’s mental health services alongside better financial support for families. This recognises that this is a key contributor for poor mental health of many of the families we support.
The Scottish Child Payment increased to £50 a week for families in Scotland and an end to the two-child benefits cap.
Radical action to transform the lives of children and young people living in poverty by writing off public sector debt.
Free school meals for all children and young people in Scotland to be universally provided, regardless of age and school year.
More affordable energy for families on low incomes.
A review into the School Clothing Grant which would lead to the grant being increased and paid throughout the school year, recognising that not all children grow at the same time.
Our Recommendations
We also want to see...
That children and young people have access to free Youth Work activities with public facilities such as schools and community halls provided to these groups and Youth workers free of charge.
More affordable homes (private, social or mixed) being built, ensuring that essential support is provided to young people and families from low incomes.
More training being provided to those who support you on providing stigma free support, developed in partnership with those with lived experience.
And in the long term...
The introduction of Social Security Development Officers who would work with charities and organisations to increase awareness of both accessing and gaining financial advice.
Better broadband provided at no extra cost to low-income families and for those living in a deprived area
A national review into Scotland’s transport infrastructure ensuring journeys are seamless and linked between providers of rail, bus, cycle and ferry.
