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. Doctor with patient for consultation, medical advice or procedure at clinic

    Taken to heart: Inequalities in heart disease in Scotland

    More than 7.6 million people across the UK live with cardiovascular disease (CVD), around twice as many as live with Alzheimer’s disease and cancer combined. 
  2. A beautiful sunset in the Scottish highlands with renewable energy wind turbines far into the horizon

    Skills passports: An essential part of a fair transition

    This month, government will publish its Clean Energy Workforce Strategy. This plan covers two aims. First, filling the growing demand for skills in clean energy industries is essential to keep on track to reach the government’s clean power…
  3. The Bank of England is watched over by a statue of the Duke of Wellington seated on his horse

    Fixing the leak: How to end the £22 billion annual taxpayer losses at the Bank of England

    The Bank of England increased its interest rates over recent years, aimed at reducing inflation. But this has also had an unintended effect on the Bank of England’s massive government bond buying – ‘quantitative easing’ – programme.