Letter to the Chancellor – Increase Child Benefit to £10

Poverty Alliance Campaigns Update

Joint Letter to the Chancellor: Increase Child Benefit to £10
The Poverty Alliance joined more than 40 organisations from across Scotland, including many of our members, in signing a letter to the Chancellor calling for a £10 child benefit increase in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The letter states:
“We are calling for emergency support for children to ensure all parents can cover the basic costs of raising their children in the face of reduced income and before the new income protection measures can take effect.
“As child benefit reaches most families – 12.7 million children receive it – it offers an effective, fast and resilient way to get money to families through our existing infrastructure. Families will get the help they need directly into their bank accounts to cover additional costs.”
You can read CPAG Scotland’s blog for more information
FARE Scotland on BBC Newsnight
Poverty Alliance members FARE Scotland were featured this week on BBC Scotland’s The Nine explaining the impact the Covid-19 crisis is having on members of the local community. Like many other community organisations, FARE are seeing growing demand for food parcels from people who have lost their job, the elderly, and those self-isolating. The video, like the crisis itself, illustrates how quickly a person can be swept into poverty.

Edinburgh Poverty Commission
Supported by the Poverty Alliance, the Edinburgh Poverty Commission are speaking to third sector and community organisations and citizens about how the Coronavirus is affecting people in poverty in Edinburgh. Poverty Alliance has been consulting with citizens who are struggling to get by to find out:
• What immediate challenges are people facing as a result of the lock-down/outbreak?
• What help or support has been most useful so far?
• What solutions would be helpful in the months ahead?
The Edinburgh Poverty Commission will publish a response to the current emergency and priority actions for the city by the end of April.

Citizens Advice Scotland Survey
CAS has release a new survey showing that Scotland is facing a ‘cost of living crisis’ amid the Covid-19 outbreak.The poll shows rising worry amongst many about how they will manage to pay for food, rent, and utility bills.
Mark Diffley, Director at MDCR who designed and conducted the polling, says, “[c]oncern about day-to-day expenses is being felt in all parts of the country and in all sections of the population.” He goes on to say, “However, it is also clear that concern is being most clearly felt by younger people and those from the more deprived social grades.”

If you have a campaign or news story you would like us to feature in next week’s campaigns update, get in touch: suzi_murning@povertyalliance.org