Building a fairer Scotland

More than 1 in 5 people in Scotland face the injustice of poverty, with an even higher proportion (1 in 4) of children living in poverty. That’s despite a legal target of reducing the number of children living in poverty to fewer than 1 in 10 by 2030.

Worryingly, poverty is particularly high for specific groups, reaching 51% for non-white minority ethnic groups, such as black people or people of mixed race. Single women with children and people with someone who has a disability also face a greater risk of poverty.

Inequality fuels poverty and makes it worse.

Income inequality in Scotland is high and rising, with wealth inequality even deeper: our richest 10% of households have, on average, 217 times more wealth than the poorest 10%.

A more equal Scotland is possible.

Working with our partners, we have secured key changes, such as the creation of Scotland’s Poverty and Inequality Commission and the Scottish Child Payment, which are helping to drive change and put more money in the pockets of low-income families in Scotland.

But we must do more to narrow the gap between the richest and the rest of us while fairly raising the money needed to invest in poverty-busting public services.

One of the ways we can tackle poverty and inequality in Scotland is by fairly raising more money to invest in the support and services we all rely on.

Of course, fair tax reforms aren’t the only answer, but they’re a powerful tool which can be used to help build the fairer, more equal country we all want to live in.

That’s why we’re calling on both the UK and Scottish Governments to urgently shift gears and implement the fair, feasible and far-reaching tax reforms required to reduce growing inequalities and enable significant investment in the vital support and services needed, not just to turn the page on poverty but to close the book.

While we’ve seen some welcome steps forward in Scotland in trying to level the playing field through fair changes to Income Tax, there’s work still to do – including to better tax wealth.

Together with a growing number of partners, we think it’s time for a rethink.

That's why we've come together to launch a new campaign, Tax Justice Scotland.

It’s time for the tax systems in Scotland and across the UK to work much harder, including to ensure we can invest in unlocking Scotland’s potential. It’s #TimetoTax

Poverty and inequality in Scotland aren’t inevitable. But tackling them means refocusing our economy, so that it does more to share Scotland’s wealth and protect our planet.

Critical to this is ensuring that globally, and here in Scotland, we move away from crude measures like Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the primary indicator of economic and social progress.

In Scotland, we’ve seen some progress with the Scottish Parliament adopting a National Performance Framework containing 11 National Outcomes which the Scottish Government says add up to a ‘vision for collective wellbeing’.

But with too many people in Scotland still facing the injustice of poverty, we need to see further, faster progress. further progress is essential because a better, fairer and greener Scotland won’t build itself.

That’s why, with our partners, we’re calling for the Scottish Parliament to support a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill to ensure that every policy and every spending decision is focused on increasing the wellbeing of people living in Scotland, both now and in the future.

We won’t end poverty alone. That’s why Oxfam Scotland is working together with organisations from across Scotland to push Scottish decision-makers to make choices that value all people, no matter what.

We are members of powerful networks and coalitions, including:

• The Poverty Alliance, Scotland’s anti-poverty network that represents a diverse group of organisations with a shared desire to tackle poverty. The Alliance influences policy and practice, while supporting communities to challenge poverty.
• The End Child Poverty Coalition, made up of over 80 organisations including child welfare groups, social justice groups, faith groups, trade unions and others. No child should grow up in poverty: that’s why we work closely with the coalition’s other Scottish members to push for policy changes at Holyrood.
• The Scottish Campaign on Rights to Social Security (SCORSS), a coalition of organisations campaigning for a social security system that prevents poverty, treats people with dignity and respect, and supports everyone to flourish.
• Since 2011, we’ve also worked in with the University of the West of Scotland as part of the UWS-Oxfam Partnership for a more equitable and sustainable Scotland. Together with a range of civil society organisations, we’ve undertaken research on topics, including on the quality of work for low-paid workers. The Partnership is now adopting a specific focus on the knowledge, experience and priorities of marginalised groups in Scotland.