1,330 drug-related deaths in 2021 in Scotland

‘We can’t tackle drugs deaths without tackling poverty’

The Poverty Alliance has issued a statement reacting to the publication of new figures on drugs deaths in Scotland. Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “There is little good news in these figures. The current level of drug deaths in Scotland remains entirely unacceptable. In a just Scotland, no-one would lose their life … Read more

An older person at home

Member blog: Time to talk about pensioner poverty

Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age, Debbie Horne, sets out why tackling pensioner poverty must be a priority. For months now we’ve seen headlines about the spiraling cost of living, which is having a devastating impact on people’s ability to get by. But as many of us know, struggling to afford essentials … Read more

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Values first! Talking about poverty and the economy

How can we best win support for the kinds of change we need to end poverty in Scotland? These two-hour training sessions from the Poverty Alliance show how we can begin to frame our communications in a way that reaches people’s fundamental values. We’ll look at research about the values that are most helpful to … Read more

Poverty Alliance write to Chancellor urging action on benefit cap

Anti-poverty campaigners are today calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to end the ‘unjust’ benefit cap – as new figures show that the numbers affected could rocket next year. The benefit cap was introduced by the UK Government in 2013. It blocks households from getting all the help they are entitled to from the social security … Read more

Secure our social security legacy with a Royal Commission

An anti-poverty charity says the Queen’s Jubilee is an opportunity to safeguard the future of the UK’s flagship social security system by establishing a new Royal Commission into the Future of Social Security. When Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1952, the UK had just started creating a modern welfare state, with the National Insurance … Read more

Tackling poverty needs investment in local services

Reacting to today’s statement from Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance said: “People in Scotland believe that government has a moral obligation to help make sure everyone has enough to live a dignified life, and that no-one lives with the injustice of poverty. That’s even more true during a time … Read more

Rights in Action Literature Review

Part of our Rights in Action project, our research team set out to explore the understanding and awareness of economic, social and cultural rights amongst marginalised communities in Scotland and to examine how organisations in Scotland have adopted human rights-based approaches.

Poverty is a human rights failure

Rights in Action: Why are we thinking about poverty and human rights? 

At the Poverty Alliance, we have long favoured taking a human rights approach to our anti-poverty work.  Fundamentally, human rights are about ensuring that we are all able to lead dignified lives. Poverty can strip people of their dignity and is a human rights failure, stopping people from being able to access their human rights.  … Read more

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