Charities Call on Sturgeon to Give Struggling Scots Immediate Cash Support

People on low incomes across Scotland will need immediate support from Holyrood if they are to cope with the financial pressures heading their way.

That’s according to a group of charities collectively calling on first minister Nicola Sturgeon to give struggling Scots direct support in the form of cash transfers.

A letter outlining the case for that support has been sent to the first minister’s office and it describes the UK government’s existing commitment to sending a total of £1,200 to the most vulnerable households as being “hopelessly insufficient”.

Central to the case put to the first minister is the point that people right across the country look certain to face dramatically increased energy bills this winter and unless action is taken to protect consumers from the likely impacts then low-income households will inevitably face huge financial difficulty.

The charities have also highlighted the potential for people living in rural communities across Scotland to suffer particularly badly because they tend to face lower temperatures and higher living costs in winter.

In essence, the campaign groups are insisting that low-income households should not be left to shoulder the burden of radically heightened living costs.

Their letter makes the case that the UK government should be doing all it can to help struggling households but also insists that the Scottish government too will need to act if people are to be properly protected.

“It is still incumbent on your government to continue to do the right thing and take all actions necessary to help people in Scotland be able to keep food on the table and their houses warm this coming winter,” the letter says.

Another point made within the correspondence is that Ms Sturgeon, as first minister in Scotland, can help to ensure that people with debts to public institutions are not being routinely hounded by aggressive debt collectors.

“Aggressive collection of publicsector debts and arrears is a counterproductive and anxiety-inducing mistake,” the letter says.

“For often modest amounts it will only serve to worsen families’ struggles and ultimately increase the cost to the public purse of supporting those families to pick up the pieces.”

Signatories of the letter sent to Nicola Sturgeon include representatives of the Trussell Trust Scotland, Save the Children Scotland, Energy Action Scotland and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

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