Case evidence from citizens advice bureaux across Scotland illustrates the difficulties people in Scotland are facing as changes to welfare take effect.
This briefing, the second in our series Voices from the frontline, focuses on the rising demand for food parcels in Scotland - the numbers of Scottish CAB clients who have made a charitable application has doubled over the last 2 years to 2,200. The report also finds that:
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Charities who provide emergency food parcels have themselves reported significant increases in clients. e.g. the Trussell Trust alone gave out food parcels to over 128,000 people (UK-wide) in 2011/12 – that’s more than double the number in the previous year.
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Most of those who need these services are low-income families who are experiencing some sort of crisis point, whether it is unemployment or losing benefit entitlement.
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Evidence suggests that the impact of the welfare changes will make the situation even worse over the next few years.