Child Poverty and Public Debt
Child poverty won’t end without a new approach to public debt collection.
Low-income families in Scotland are facing a debt crisis. Public debt (sometimes referred to as public sector debt) including council tax payments, rent arrears, and even school meal debt, traps families in poverty. Current public debt recovery processes need urgent reform to provide help and support rather than creating further hardship for struggling families.
We believe government intervention is essential to alleviate the crushing debt burden faced by disadvantaged families, to prevent financial hardship and to enable them to thrive. Children have a right to grow up and live free from poverty and government has a duty to uphold that right. Public debt reform is vital to tackling and reducing child poverty.
Hear how public debt has impacted a family supported by Aberlour:
Aberlour, with funding from The Robertson Trust, is working with Local Authorities across Scotland to improve public debt collection policies.
A National Conversation and Local Change
Grounded in our Tayside Poverty Pilot Project and research by Professor Morag Treanor, of the University of Glasgow, we are working to raise the national conversation about doing public debt recovery differently by working in partnership with public and third sector partners and stakeholders.
Using our research and evidence we are calling for reform through policy and legislative change, nationally and locally. Our aim is to improve the lives of children and families across Scotland trapped in poverty because of public debt.
Child Poverty and The Public Debt Crisis
A National Conference by Aberlour Children’s Charity and The University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy