“The year ahead will remain difficult for many of us but our commitment to our clients remains strong and we will continue to listen to their feedback as we develop our service and prepare to deliver new benefits.” David Wallace CEO Social Security Scotland
Shocking Rise In Anxiety About Winter Bills: The devastating impact of the cost of living crisis
“The cost of living crisis is critical, immediate and severe and disproportionately impacting those that need support the most” Sarb Bajwa, Chief Executive of the BP
Emma Roddick MSP: on “the clear links between debt and mental ill-health”
“Given the overlap between debt problems and mental health issues, there is also a need for money advice services to be better able to meet the needs of people with mental health conditions.”
This is now a “cost of everything crisis.”
“the Scottish Government estimates that, even with current UK Government mitigations, at least 700,000 households in Scotland – 30% of all households – will be living in extreme fuel poverty by October. That number could be even higher, if the Ofgem price cap for October 2022 is above £2,800. ” Nicola Sturgeon
Faith Leaders Call on UK Government to Take Action to Address Cost of living Crisis
“The UK Government has a moral duty to take long-lasting and meaningful action to ensure that this crisis doesn’t deepen and doesn’t happen again.” – Rev Karen Hendry, Church of Scotland
Facing A Winter Of Discontent
Orkney looks set to face disruption to many of its council run services this autumn and winter. Council workers, members of trade unions have rejected the 2% pay offer from their employers.
“The highest price this winter will be paid by those with the least.” UK Energy Price Hike
“This scale of increase is unsustainable and will push a massive number of additional Orkney households into #fuelpoverty – we need intervention now and a change to the broken UK energy system.” Robert Leslie
Food Poverty in Orkney
Between 1st April 2021 and 31st of March 2022, Orkney’s Foodbank distributed 940 emergency food parcels to islanders: 566 to adults and 374 to children.
“The past is a foreign country”
“As we look back on “the good old days,” we need to ask ourselves: Was the past actually as great as we remember it? And what can we learn from all these walks down memory lane?”
“Workers are being treated with contempt.” – COSLA’s 2% pay offer
Unite the union is to ballot targeted groups of local government workers in the coming weeks in the escalating dispute over pay.