Challenge Poverty Week – a chance to reflect and to act

The reality of life on the breadline is stark and no one is ever completely safe from experiencing this hardship. Your life, my life, could change overnight as a result of illness, disability or redundancy. At some point in our lives, we will all need to access the welfare state – choice may not play a part in life changing situations. There is a fundamental flaw in political rhetoric and debate about welfare. It’s not about ‘them and us’ or about ‘skivers and strivers’ – it’s about all of us. Yet, it’s clear that with each passing day, we are losing that collective sense of “social security” – a system which should protect us all when we need it and which provides a decent standard of living for those who may never be able to take up paid employment. Recreating a commitment to the welfare state is one of the biggest challenges we face if we are ever to create a more ‘Scottish’ approach to welfare regardless of what happens in next year’s referendum.

Recreating a commitment to the welfare state is one of the biggest challenges we face if we are ever to create a more ‘Scottish’ approach to welfare regardless of what happens in next year’s referendum.

How we recognise and value unpaid contributions to society is another challenge – paid work will not always be an option and people contribute to life, society and the economy in different ways. Consider the £10bn ‘cost’ to replace what unpaid carers do in Scotland. The current constitutional and political context means that Scotland’s first Challenge Poverty Week therefore has a heart-rending relevance, no matter who you are. Throughout the week charities have been working together to bring the reality of poverty in Scotland to public attention and to consider how we work collectively to eradicate it. So with Challenge Poverty Week in full swing, I have just two asks – here goes: ONE Whoever you are, and whatever your views on poverty in this country, stop for a minute, reflect on your own life and consider this: poverty can touch all of our lives, without warning. Think about how you would want to be treated if you suddenly found yourself dependent on the current benefit system and the wider welfare state. TWO If you’re a politician or political campaigner, make the most of Challenge Poverty Week by engaging with grassroots activists, local community groups, and carer and disability organisations. This will help you to pinpoint how you can help fight poverty in local communities. The reality of poverty in Scotland is this – people in work and out of work are equally affected. In a low wage economy, reliance on cash benefits is the only way you can get anywhere near a decent standard of living, although there is little guarantee of this anymore. The reality of poverty in Scotland is that it could be you being ‘blamed’ for not being able to work. Poverty challenges democracy in a very real way. The reality of poverty for many means that it is incredibly hard to believe that decision makers care about what you think when you have little hope for the future. It’s no wonder then that voter turn-out is low in some of our most deprived communities – the recent Govan by election is a prime example. Challenge Poverty Week highlights the need for collective thought and deed. It’s time for all of us – politicians, public, media and campaigners – to take action in Challenge Poverty Week, and every week afterwards, to change direction and move towards a more equal and inclusive country – towards the kind of country that the third sector believes Scotland can be. Find out more about Challenge Poverty Week.