Citizens Advice Scotland has launched our manifesto “Empowering people, supporting communities” ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections which can be downloaded here.
The Scottish Parliament elections come as Scotland faces a cliff edge. Even before the pandemic people faced insufficient incomes and rising living costs.
The next Scottish Government will face the immediate challenge of our economy reopening as financial support schemes implemented during the pandemic begin to expire.
Almost 2 in 5 people who have come to the Citizens Advice network for help with multiple debts during the pandemic don’t have enough income to cover all of their essential living expenses each month.
It’s vital that the next Scottish Government addresses this threat with the urgency it needs. That’s why we want to see changes like:
- Writing off housing and council tax debts built up during the pandemic
- Reviewing fuel poverty support schemes so they are better targeted
- Reforming legal aid