We are failing too many people

No one should need to seek free food – including Marc. Despite being fully qualified in his profession, and having 20 years' experience, he had been out of work for two years when he turned for help from his local Foodshare. He had been actively seeking work through his local job centre but Marc’s situation was made all the more difficult when he was sanctioned by the Department for Work and Pensions. The decision left him unable to afford to eat and, out of desperation, he turned to the Foodshare. “I don’t feel bad about coming here” he said, adding: “I feel angry that I’ve been put in this situation.” And so he should.

In Britain today, the five richest families in the UK have more money than the 12.6 million poorest people combined.

More than 870,000 Scots are living in poverty and more and more of them have little choice but to seek emergency food support. Their current income is not enough to cover even their basic needs. Welfare reforms, stagnant wages, rising utility bills, higher living costs and job insecurity are all causing people to fall below the breadline. Our existing economic model is failing too many people, and not just those without jobs. Many people in jobs are also struggling on incomes that fail to cover their basic needs. Whether someone is in work or unable to work, they should have access to a decent income that lets them live with dignity. To get there we must shift our economic compass. Politicians currently rely too heavily on rising gross domestic product (GDP) figures as an indicator of success. In reality, GDP tells us little, if anything, about the quality or distribution of growth. Too many communities in Scotland fail to benefit from rising economic growth. That’s why we want politicians to examine wider measures when assessing the impact of their policies. We must also recognise and challenge the shocking scale of income inequality in our society. In Britain today, the five richest families in the UK have more money than the 12.6 million poorest people combined. That means just five households have more wealth than 20% of the entire UK population. This is a sign of economic failure not success. It is a result of political choices that can be reversed. And you can help. Oxfam is working with other charities across Scotland to highlight the scale and causes of poverty in our rich country. By sharing and discussing this video you can show your support. Oxfam Scotland is a partner organisation in the Scotland’s Outlook campaign. We want people to get angry and get active in the fight against poverty in Scotland.