[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$fpfdgvls88dnd":17},{"id":4,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":8,"slug":9,"content":10,"content_overview":11,"published_at":12,"seo_title":8,"seo_description":13,"image":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16},"01m5fanaffkxrzkrpj1x4keag4","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","01j303dmcc6n6900v73fs88bc7",false,"Right to Food Commission supports Aberlour's Call to End School Meal Debt","right-to-food-commission-supports-aberlours-call","\u003Cp>School meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three words that should never be uttered in the same sentence\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children bearing the burden and stigma of debt should shame any society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, here in Scotland that is what we saw happening for thousands of children and their families around the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For many high school children having a negative balance on their parent pay account would mean being unable to access a meal at school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt and hidden school hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two sides of the same coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what side that coin lands on it would still show how badly we have failed many of Scotland’s most disadvantaged children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is why at Aberlour we were compelled to do something about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make sure we stood beside those children and their families and to call for something to change – urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We wanted to make sure we saw an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Fpolicy-and-influencing\u002Fpublic-debt\u002Fschool-meal-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">end to school meal debt and hidden school hunger for good\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 2023 we urged the then First Minister, Humza Yusaf, to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To bring an end to the shameful practice of children and their families being chased by debt collectors for school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt is a symptom of families not having enough money to provide the very basics for their children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fundamentally, it is about a lack of income.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We welcomed the introduction of a one-off School Meal Debt Fund to write off outstanding debt for one year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we were clear that was not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our evidence shows that the majority of children with school meal debt are from low-income working families who do not qualify for free school meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, along with writing off the debt for struggling families, we called for the expansion of Free School Meals to all low-income families across Scotland to help prevent school meal debt in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, we welcomed John Swinney’s subsequent commitment to continuing the School Meal Debt Fund for a further year to write off nearly £3 million of school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Figures show that this benefitted 70,000 children and their families across Scotland over the last two years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A welcome relief for many, but still a limited intervention without a long-term solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our campaign to end school meal debt has continued up to and during the recent Scottish Parliament elections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year we also published evidence that pointed to the extent of school meal debt for children and their families in England.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What our research suggested was that around 1 in 4 children not eligible for free school meals in England had regular or persistent school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so we called on the UK Government to act and follow Scotland’s lead by taking action to end school meal debt for children across the rest of the UK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This week saw the launch of the independent UK Right to Food Commission report and findings following their work to evidence the scale of food insecurity across the UK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Commission’s report provides a roadmap and clear actions all governments across the UK must take to end food insecurity for all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This includes ending school meal debt for good for all children the length of the country, from Aberdeen to Aberystwyth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Scotland, the SNP made a commitment during the Scottish Parliamentary election campaign to end school meal debt once and for all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That manifesto pledge was then followed by the First Minister announcing that families struggling with school meal debt would continue to be helped by committing the same level of investment again this year to write that debt off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time this will happen alongside the further expansion of Free School Meals in primary schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The urgent measure and a preventative solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is much more the First Minister must do to make real progress on his ambition to “eradicate child poverty”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this is one example that the rest of the UK can follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making sure no child ever again is burdened with debt or goes hungry at school would be a quick win for Andy Burnham, to show his commitment to tackling food insecurity by ending school meal debt in every postcode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Martin Canavan\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Head of Policy & Influencing \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>",null,"2026-10-21T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity's Head of Policy & Influencing, Martin Canavan, shares what must be done to end school meal debt and hidden hunger in schools for good. He shares what has been done in Scotland and what must be done in England.","media\u002Fshared image.jpg","2026-10-21T13:33:25.000000Z","2026-10-22T08:11:54.000000Z",{"id":18,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":19,"slug":20,"content":21,"content_overview":11,"published_at":22,"seo_title":19,"seo_description":23,"image":24,"created_at":25,"updated_at":25,"next":26,"prev":27},"01kav8nnhwt2wkw68dyf847cky","New Research Reveals Women Bear the Brunt of the Public Debt Crisis","new-research-reveals-women-bear-the-brunt-of-the-public-debt-crisis","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>New research from Aberlour Children's Charity, in partnership with Trussell and One Parent Families Scotland, exposes the gender divide in families in Scotland being pushed into poverty by arrears.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More women than men are at risk of being driven into poverty by government debt collection, according to research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fgendered-nature-public-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">landmark report published today\u003C\u002Fa> [TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBER] reveals women in Scotland are more likely to face financial hardship because of how national agencies and local authorities recoup arrears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Detailed analysis of the anonymised records of 71,000 people seeking debt advice in Scotland reveals 57% were women and they owed most in public debt, like council tax and rent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Single mothers and those living in households where a child or adult is disabled were particularly at risk with the psychological toll of debt often damaging their physical and mental health, propelling them deeper into financial hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The research suggests caring responsibilities can often mean reduced income, less financial resilience and greater risk of poverty while deductions from benefits to pay arrears often makes difficult household budgets impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour Children’s Charity, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fopfs.org.uk\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One Parent Families Scotland\u003C\u002Fa>, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.trussell.org.uk\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trussell\u003C\u002Fa> commissioned the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fgendered-nature-public-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">research\u003C\u002Fa> as they campaign for wide-ranging reform of how public debt is pursued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justina Murray, Aberlour Chief Executive, called for far greater awareness of the potential damage inflicted by public debt alongside far-sighted reform to ensure its collection does not deepen family poverty and gender inequality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>We have known for some time how the pursuit and collection of public debt inflicts further financial harm on some of our poorest families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This important research confirms that impact is felt most often by women and most often by those caring for children or other family members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is clearly embedded in the lives of low-income women deepening the inequalities they already face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our public authorities should treat arrears as an emergency flare, a signal to intervene not to make things worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are far better, more humane, and less destructive ways to collect, or cancel, this kind of debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour, delivering frontline support to disadvantaged children, fears deducting money from benefits to collect arrears is pushing many families into poverty with the research revealing £221 million is deducted from payments for just one benefit, Universal Credit, each year in Scotland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gla.ac.uk\u002Fschools\u002Fsocialpolitical\u002Fstaff\u002Fmoragtreanor\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Professor Morag Treanor, of University of Glasgow,\u003C\u002Fa> who carried out the research, said the work had only been possible because of the depth and quality of the records kept by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cas.org.uk\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Citizens’ Advice Scotland\u003C\u002Fa> and debt charity \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.stepchange.org\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">StepChange\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She urged other organisations to gather far better data to allow more expert insight into how public debt and its collection can drive families to the brink of financial crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Public debt does not come in isolation but most often arrives alongside other hardships and inequalities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our understanding of its impact must become far stronger and shape effective policies to ease those inequalities. Looking at public debt in isolation does not reflect the reality of how its collection impacts lives. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This research confirms public debt is part of our country’s poverty crisis and can only be addressed as part of that crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>The charities funding the report, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fgendered-nature-public-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Gendered Impact of Public Debt\u003C\u002Fa>, said it makes a compelling case for urgent changes to legislation, policy and practice at all levels of government on both sides of the border.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Campaigners highlight how collection of public debt can be harsher and more punitive than in the private sector. In Scotland, enforced payment of council tax arrears is fast-tracked, for example, and arrears can be collected for 20 years compared to six in England and Wales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Satwat Rehmen, Chief Executive of One Parent Families, said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Today's report shows us that economic abuse can have a significant and lasting impact on single parents' finances long after a relationship ends and that, with 92 per cent of single parents in Scotland being women, this is a highly gendered issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We know that women's poverty and child poverty are inextricably linked and therefore, by addressing public debt systems that aggravate economic abuse and tighten household budgets, we can ultimately provide brighter futures for families post-separation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cara Hilton, Senior Policy Manager for Scotland at Trussell, said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>People across Scotland are being pushed deeper into hardship, left exhausted, isolated and without enough money for essentials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nearly everyone, 92 per cent, who is referred to a Trussell food bank in Scotland faces debt or arrears, with disabled families and single parent families at greatest risk. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our new research reveals this burden of debt is falling disproportionately on women, undermining women’s mental health and family wellbeing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our joint research must be a wake up call for decision makers at both Scottish and UK level. We must see bold action to end the spiral of public debt that traps so many women and their children in hunger and hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fgendered-nature-public-debt\">Read the report.\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>","2025-11-25T00:00:00.000000Z","New research from Aberlour Children's Charity, in partnership with Trussell and One Parent Families Scotland using Scotland data from Citizens' Advice Scotland and Stepchange, reveals women in Scotland are more likely to face financial hardship.","media\u002FiStock-2187676886.jpg","2025-11-24T15:45:43.000000Z",{"id":18,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":19,"slug":20,"content":21,"content_overview":11,"published_at":22,"seo_title":19,"seo_description":23,"image":24,"created_at":25,"updated_at":25},{"id":28,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":29,"is_featured":7,"title":30,"slug":31,"content":32,"content_overview":11,"published_at":33,"seo_title":30,"seo_description":34,"image":35,"created_at":36,"updated_at":37},"01kavacq5hcgr7jtex2fmg8yw3","1","Charity warns poorest children trapped longer in poverty","charity-warns-poorest-children-trapped-longer-in-poverty","\u003Cp>Emergency payments rushed to some of Scotland’s poorest families to pay for food and heating surged by a fifth last year, according to a children’s charity. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour Children’s Charity revealed £378,000 of emergency payments from its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fget-help\u002Furgent-assistance-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Urgent Assistance Fund\u003C\u002Fa> were approved in the year to October 2025, up 17 per cent on the preceding 12 months.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justina Murray, the new chief executive of Aberlour, warned the escalating demand for crisis payments come as the charity’s frontline teams report more of Scotland’s poorest families being trapped in poverty for longer. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She urged the Chancellor to scrap the two-child benefit cap in the UK budget on Wednesday 26th November 2025 to launch a new wave of far-sighted reform to ease then end child poverty. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murray called for action as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpovertyrelief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aberlour launches its Winter appeal\u003C\u002Fa>, with every pound donated going on urgent assistance for families. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its crisis fund has urgently delivered almost £4m with the majority of applications seeking help to buy food, clothing and heating. The average payment was £236 last year and delivered within days of approval. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Murray said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>The applications reveal how a single unexpected bill, a broken washing machine, for example, or bedding damaged by damp, can mean calamity for a family. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Many families are balanced on the thinnest tightrope and the smallest breeze is a serious risk. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These payments are relatively small, a few hundred pounds, but this can mean the difference between children going to bed fed and warm or cold and hungry. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our frontline teams offer a whole range of practical assistance and emotional support but, at times of absolute crisis, those families need money most urgently of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Murray, former chief executive of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, joined Aberlour last month and since then has been visiting the charity’s family support services across Scotland, where frontline workers warned more families are being trapped in poverty for longer.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>It has been hugely encouraging to see so much effort and expertise across all of our services supporting families, but concerning to see how much more is needed. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our teams work with families every day and are seeing poverty becoming even more entrenched. To raise families out of poverty for good needs more action and more urgency. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That demands more than good intentions and passionate speeches. It demands practical action shaped by frontline expertise, and backed by resource and ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has signalled action on the two child benefit cap in her budget on Wednesday and Murray said the move would be welcome, but must be followed by other life-changing reforms. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Repairing the damage done by punitive benefit cuts to our poorest families is crucial. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the short term, limiting benefits to two children might have saved money, but this has cost our country far more in the poverty inflicted, young lives harmed and futures sabotaged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour delivers a range of support for children and families across Scotland and, Murray said, the priority for policy-makers is to swiftly roll out effective services capable of making the most difference to whole families in the long-term. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>There is a lot of talk about child poverty, but policy discussions often fail to reflect the day to day reality of families and the urgency of the situation. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need to support and stabilise families both for today and for good. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must never be content to talk about simply ‘tackling’ or ‘reducing’ poverty, as if some level of poverty is acceptable. Our only ambition must be to eradicate it and prevent it happening again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour, one of the country’s most influential children’s charities, is marking its 150th anniversary this year but, Murray said, many of the social issues demanding action in 1875 remain unresolved today. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>She said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>More than a century and a half after our charity began caring for children in need, young people in Scotland are still going to bed cold and going to school hungry. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their lives and life chances are still being sabotaged by poverty, as they were all those years ago and, as a country, we should have done better. We still can.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>","2025-11-24T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity warns the poorest children are trapped in poverty longer in Scotland as it launches it's annual winter fundraising campaign to raise vital funds for the Aberlour Urgent Assistance Fund.","media\u002F0R3A3133-min.jpg","2025-11-24T16:15:47.000000Z","2025-11-24T16:17:21.000000Z"]