Universal basic services: Building financial security in Scotland

Article

Financial security – or the lack of it – remains a significant challenge for families across Scotland. For many, the Covid-19 pandemic loaded greater pressure onto already strained finances.

Now, as we look towards a looming energy cost crisis and rising food prices, there is an acute need to help families manage in the face of rising living costs.

In this paper, we identify the largest costs facing families below a living income, set out the current policy approach for each of these areas, and discuss the potential for a universal basic services approach across new areas to bring more people closer to a living income. These include care, transport, information, food and utilities.

Related items

  1. Young male delivery cyclist working part-time, riding through city streets with food backpack on.

    Raising the bar: Strengthening living standards while banning exploitative zero-hours contracts

    Labour’s manifesto committed to banning exploitative zero-hours contracts as part of sweeping upgrades to workers’ rights.
  2. The Bank of England is watched over by a statue of the Duke of Wellington seated on his horse

    Beyond headroom: Why we need a better fiscal framework to fix the UK’s long term problems

    There has been long-standing debate about the UK’s fiscal rules and fiscal framework.  
  3. Drax coal fired power plant in North Yorkshire, UK with coal stack and Biomass storage tanks at sunset

    Financing carbon capture, usage and storage: The case for extended producer responsibility

    The government has run out of road on funding infrastructure through energy bills.