Evidence library

This briefing shares the experiences of women in Scotland affected by the cost-of-living crisis. This joint project conducted by the Poverty Alliance and the Scottish Women’s Budget Group, is exploring women’s experiences over a three-month period from August to October 2022. Ahead of the Scottish Government’s Emergency Budget Review this interim briefing highlights emerging findings from 18 interviews with women conducted in August 2022 by the Poverty Alliance.

Interim Findings

• Rising energy prices were a key concern for women participating in the research, who were already struggling to manage costs in the summer. Rising costs of food and basic essentials were also a common concern.

• For women who participated in this research, deepening poverty was evident, with women claiming benefits and in low-paid work struggling to cope with rising costs. Falling into debt was a common experience for those interviewed including energy debt, bank overdrafts and rent arrears. Reliance on family and friends was frequent.

• Strong feelings of shame were reported by women participating in this research, particularly for mothers who felt guilty not being able to afford to leisure activities or to buy essential items for their children.

• Coping mechanisms such as eating less and cutting back on energy use were impacting on women’s mental and physical health, particularly for those with pre-existing health conditions.

• Women who participated in the interviews called for more support with energy prices as well as accessible advice and information on benefits and debt in local areas. They also called for local area improvements including in transport infrastructure, community food centres or local food pantries, free activities for families with provision of food and quicker access to mental health services.