Women for Independence has always stood for a human-rights-based Scotland, with policies and systems rooted in equality and respect. The cost of living emergency is in large part caused by a UK government whose policies have always punished the poorest, and disproportionally affect women.
Join us as we use our voices to highlight the reality of the cost of living crisis for women in Scotland, what should be done to lessen the heavy burden it is causing, and why Independence for Scotland is the way forward.
Its September 2022. The people of Scotland are living through the cumulative effects of a decade of Tory austerity, the effects of the COVID pandemic, Brexit, and the current cost of living crisis.
Fuel costs have risen to a level that is completely unsustainable, having tripled for some in the last year with another rise due in just over a week. A rise that the government have announced they will ‘cap’ at an average of £2, 500 per household. A bit of scrutiny, and it becomes clear that they’ve actually capped the unit rates. This means that what households actually pay could vary significantly. It also means that if you are a disabled person, who needs to have your heating on frequently in winter, or who needs to use electricity for your health aids, this cap won’t mean much. For some of us, these things aren’t optional, they are a health necessity. We know this is something disabled women and carers are extremely worried about. In other countries across Europe, fuel cost rises have been capped or give as grants by governments. While people in Scotland live with a 200% rise and Boris Johnson telling them to buy a new kettle to save on costs, some of our European neighbours have a capped rise of 4%. The scale of this crisis is a choice.
Food costs have risen too – the average UK family food bill has risen by £454 a year, with inflation set to climb further. The Trussell Trust report that increasing numbers of parents are skipping meals so that they can feed their children. The Joseph Rowntree foundation have stated that the UK government would have to double the lump sum of £1,200 the have said they’ll pay low-income families if it is to make any meaningful impact.
Off the back of a decade of Tory policy to reduce benefits; the two-child cap, a clear policy of reducing disability benefits, and benefits payments that have lagged behind the increase in costs for years, mitigation of needs is needed and needed now, but it’s a sticking plaster on a life threating wound. The government have the means to address all of these issues, but they choose not to, and women are the ones who bear the brunt of it.
The cost of living crisis has a horrific impact on the ability of women experiencing domestic violence. Work by Women’s Aid has found that 66% of women report abusers are using the cost of living crisis to coercively control then, and 73% of women has said that the financial crisis has made it impossible or more difficult to leave.
Young Women’s Trust reports that young women are among some of the hardest hit. Young women often work in low-paid insecure work and were already paid 22% less on average than young men. Many are in this sort of work or working part-time because they have caring responsibilities.
We are for the most part the food shoppers, the bill payers. We are the vast majority of single parents and carers. We are the ones who bear the emotional weight and the additional work of trying to navigate these issues day to day. We see lots of comments from the UK Government about ‘living within our means’ and shopping around, with absolutely no cognisance that shopping around takes time, and that the people that this will affect most are people who are already stretching every penny, often working multiple jobs to do it. This crisis will affect everyone. People who’ve managed financially will be accessing services and benefits systems for the first time, and that in itself needs additional resource.
We do not have to accept that this is the way things will be.
We can lobby governments and make sure women’s voices are heard. We know that governments can introduce policies that not only reduce the burden now, they are an improvement for generations. The Scottish Government has recently announced an increase of their game-changing Scottish child payment, to £25 per week for every eligible child under sixteen. They’ve announced a freeze on private rents, a ban on evictions till at least March 2023, and regulations for short term lets are working their way through local authorities now, means less housing instability. The Scottish Social Security System has been designed with the people who will actually use it.
We can vote for change. Our government is limited in what it can do. Scotland’s block grant is set by Westminster and any extra funding is based on what they choose to spend in England, and Scotland has extremely limited borrowing powers, which means very little flexibility to deal with crises.
A referendum on independence is coming and people will once again decide on the future they want. The Scottish approach is already so different to that of rUK, but we could do so much more. In an independent Scotland, with the full levers of power, we will be able to make better choices. Choices that better support children, disabled people, carers. Choices that mean people don’t have to choose between heating and eating. Choices that mean living doesn’t come at this staggering cost.
Living Shouldn’t Come at a Cost.
If you are a woman in Scotland and you’d like to add your voice to our campaign, we will be gathering testimonials on the real impact the cost of living is having and we would love to hear from you. We are also keen to hear about what you would like to see done differently in an independent Scotland. You can email us at info@womenforindependence.org
About the author: Lisa-Marie Hughes is SNP Councillor for Renfrew North & Braehead and a member of Women for Independence. She’s passionate about feminism, healthcare, disability rights and supporting her local community. When she takes a rest from activism she’s most likely to be found at a book festival or leafing through the booty from a local bookshop.