[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f1zcrg7alux0n4":3,"$f10b3rz2z388kj":39},{"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":13,"seo_description":14,"image":15,"created_at":16,"updated_at":17,"next":18,"prev":27},"01jxmbezmjc68qwmsqd48d8b7s","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","01j303dmcc6n6900v73fs88bc7",false,"Tayside Public Debt Project An Example for the Rest of Scotland to Follow","tayside-public-debt-project-an-example-for-the-rest-of-scotland-to-follow","\u003Cp>Aberlour Children's Charity has today, here in Dundee, told senior Labour politicians that their Tayside pilot into public debt recovery practices offers an example for the rest of Scotland to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aberlour informed Scottish Labour Finance Spokesperson and North East MSP Michael Marra MSP and Paul O'Kane MSP, Labour spokesperson Social Justice and Social and Equalities about the success of Aberlour's innovative anti-poverty initiative, the Family Financial Wellbeing Pilot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Working with three Tayside local authorities, the Aberlour initiative undertook a series of innovative interventions, including the payment of involuntary public debts such as council taxes or rent arrears, enabling families to afford essential expenses such as food and clothing as well as Christmas gifts and specialised sensory toys for children with disabilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tayside pilot clearly demonstrated that debt to public bodies is a key factor in entrenching and increasing poverty and child poverty, and that new ways of tackling public debt, including debt write off, can help stabilise and reset families whilst at the same time help the public purse make significant savings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This types of savings made by public authorities through new and unique ways of recovering debt, including debt write off, includes removing the cost of re-housing families after evictions and\u002For reducing the risk of children going into care, which could potentially cost councils hundreds of thousands of pounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Faberlour-family-financial-wellbeing-tayside-pilot-evaluation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aberlour Family Financial Wellbeing Tayside Pilot\u003C\u002Fa> identified systemic shortcomings in debt collection practices, particularly the lack of coordination among public debt collectors (75% of the debt owed by the families involved in the Tayside project was public bodies). This often resulted in simultaneous deductions from wages and benefits by multiple public agencies, exacerbating financial hardship for disadvantaged families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour’s CEO, SallyAnn Kelly OBE, said: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>We currently have a system that prioritises debt repayment over ensuring families can feed and clothe their children. The state must serve as a safety net, not a financial trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need to see comprehensive reform of debt collection practices by public bodies and governments must take proactive measures to address the escalating debt crisis faced by disadvantaged families and help not hinder them as they seek to reset their lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Aberlour Family Financial Wellbeing Pilot had a clear and demonstrable beneficial impact, and stands as a model that can be implemented nationwide as part of a concerted effort to alleviate the burden of debt on disadvantaged households and help tackle child poverty. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We hope that politicians across all political parties reform and improve the way debt is recovered as well as looking to prevents the reasons why people fall into debt in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Maria's Story\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria*, aged 24, is currently in receipt of Universal Credit for herself and her 4-month-old son, Rory*. Her financial situation is significantly impacted by deductions from her Universal Credit for an advance payment and outstanding court fines. She is also receiving Child Benefit but had not been receiving the Scottish Child Payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maria is on a recovery journey and has been engaging with Aberlour’s support services for approximately six weeks. During this time, historical council tax debts were identified, including a debt amounting to £2,288.63 that originated in another city but continued to follow her. Maria had not previously applied for the 25% single person council tax discount or exemption based on her care-experienced background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through a collaborative effort between Aberlour and Welfare Rights services, Maria received intensive support to maximise her income and apply for all relevant benefits. Welfare Rights workers intervened to reassess her council tax liabilities and successfully argued that, as a care-experienced young person, she was exempt from council tax. As a result, the full debt of £2,288.63 was written off. The increase in her income supported repayment of the advance payment and court fines, there was not need to access the hardship fund.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This joint working enabled Maria to remain engaged with support services and alleviated significant financial stress, giving her the opportunity for a fresh start. The resolution of her debt and the securing of appropriate benefits marked a major milestone in stabilising her financial and emotional well-being as she continues her recovery journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Names changed.\u003C\u002Fp>",null,"2025-06-16T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity's Tayside Public Debt Project An Example for the Rest of Scotland to Follow","Aberlour Children's Charity on Monday 16th June 2025 told senior Labour politicians that their Tayside pilot into public debt recovery practices offers an example for the rest of Scotland to follow.","media\u002FMichael Marra, Paul O'Kane, Sean Duffy, SallyAnn Kelly - Tayside Visit_160625.jpeg","2025-06-13T09:55:45.000000Z","2025-06-16T14:35:29.000000Z",{"id":19,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":20,"slug":21,"content":22,"content_overview":11,"published_at":23,"seo_title":20,"seo_description":24,"image":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":26},"01jxwgkh95wbc6gg310c7kn269","New Report From Aberlour Children's Charity Warns That UK Disability Benefit Cuts Could Further Disadvantage Vulnerable Families ","new-report-from-aberlour-childrens-charity-warns-that-uk-disability-benefit-cuts-could-further-disadvantage-vulnerable-families","\u003Cp>A new report has found that the proposed reforms to UK disability benefits risk further disadvantage on families with a disability, especially amongst lone parent families where there is also a disability (either a child or adult within the family).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The research carried out by University of Glasgow Professor Morag Treanor, on behalf of Aberlour Children's Charity, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fopfs.org.uk\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One Parent Family Scotland\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.trussell.org.uk\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trussell\u003C\u002Fa> considered the levels of debt owed to public bodies, including the levels of debt experienced by disabled people and lone parent families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fhouseholds-with-a-disability-and-lone-parent-families-and-the-impact-of-public-debt-and-arrears\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this report\u003C\u002Fa> and in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fpublic-debt-publications\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous research\u003C\u002Fa> Professor Treanor has shown how public debt, owed for example to councils and the DWP, pulls families deeper into poverty and exacerbates the debt crisis facing so many people in Scotland and across the UK. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resulting in more and more low-income families finding it harder to make ends meet and unable to afford day to day essentials. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>55% of children with a disability are in a lone parent family.  Those lone parent families with a disability are most likely to depend on food banks and at a high risk of having fuel and energy debts\u002Farrears. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is evidence however that disability benefits provide a level of support and a protective blanket to disabled couple parent or lone parent families who might otherwise fall deeper and further into debt. This strongly indicates that disabled benefits are helping mitigate, to some extent, financial hardship and help prevent disabled families from plunging even further into debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The research recommends that the UK Government must not implement any changes to Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments if they were to result in vulnerable and disadvantaged families being pushed into even deeper poverty. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They also state that any reforms to the welfare system must ensure that low-income families are adequately supported to help them provide for their children, prevent them falling into debt and align with other policies and actions to reduce child poverty. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aberlour Chief Executive, SallyAnn Kelly OBE, said:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>At Aberlour we believe reforming our welfare system is necessary especially if it helps people who are able to work get into employment. However, we are clear that reforms should always protect the most vulnerable and should be implemented in a manner that does not push more people into further and more entrenched poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This research suggests that this is exactly what could happen. We are urging the Government to think again and prevent this very harmful outcome by making changes that safeguard the most vulnerable families. Our research and work into public debt has outlined the struggles facing families and how the cost of living crisis is leading to millions of people lacking the means to pay for their basic needs and seeing them spiralling into debt, often to public bodies, as a consequence. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If these reforms are introduced in their current shape this research strongly suggests that many of our most disadvantaged families will be pushed even deeper into debt. This must be avoided and we would urge the government to listen to what families are saying and make the necessary changes to their proposals - changes that will protect and safeguard families, provide additional support and avoid potentially catastrophic outcomes for millions of the most vulnerable people and their children.\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>The UK government’s plans to slash support for disabled people who most need our collective protection from hunger is cruel and irresponsible. This research clearly shows that the right support can help prevent disabled families from falling into hardship. Cutting it is ill-considered and will leave more disabled people at risk of needing a food bank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One of the key findings of this research is that people in disabled households are twice as likely to be referred to a food bank than people in households without a disability. If the government chooses to go ahead with cuts, these figures will only get worse.  Trussell’s own analysis finds that 15,000 more people in disabled households in Scotland will be at risk of needing to use a food bank. But there is still time for the UK government to rethink and do what’s right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Satwat Rehman, Chief Executive of One Parent Families Scotland said:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Many single parents, the majority of whom are mothers, are raising children alone and often without respite. When disability is also part of the equation, whether a child’s or their own, the pressures multiply. This report clearly shows that these families are at significantly higher risk of accruing public debts, including council tax, benefits overpayments and energy arrears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At OPFS, we regularly hear from parents forced to rely on credit cards to cover basic needs like food and heating. Debt is not a result of poor budgeting, it is a direct consequence of inadequate income and rigid, punitive welfare policies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With the UK Government poised to introduce cuts to disability benefits, this report is a timely reminder that welfare reform must work to support, not penalise, families. We urgently need reforms that stop pulling vulnerable families under: a just approach to debt recovery, an end to harmful Universal Credit changes, and a commitment to policies that give families the stability and dignity they deserve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fhouseholds-with-a-disability-and-lone-parent-families-and-the-impact-of-public-debt-and-arrears\">Read the full report\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>","2025-06-17T00:00:00.000000Z","A new report by Aberlour Children's Charity, with One Parent Families Scotland and Trussell,  has found that the proposed reforms to UK disability benefits risk further disadvantage on families with a disability, especially amongst lone parent families.","media\u002FiStock-1899502710.jpg","2025-06-16T13:59:32.000000Z",{"id":28,"blog_author_id":29,"blog_category_id":30,"is_featured":7,"title":31,"slug":32,"content":33,"content_overview":11,"published_at":34,"seo_title":31,"seo_description":35,"image":36,"created_at":37,"updated_at":38},"01jwzwmga7t2t1cst1pa2gh87x","9cdbdd25-1564-45ec-84de-602c5009ebe1","1","Aberlour 150th Afternoon Tea Party","aberlour-150th-afternoon-tea-party","\u003Cp>On Sunday 18th May a lucky few of us returned to our Moray roots to mark Aberlour’s 150th anniversary with an afternoon tea party hosted by our Chair, David Robb, at the Fleming Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guests included former residents coming from as far afield as Cambridgeshire and Kent, as well as local civic leaders, people connected to the orphanage and charity, trustees of the board, senior management and staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the event we launched the new Aberlour 150th anniversary tartan and David Robb, who grew up in Aberlour village, wore the kilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Former resident Ron Aitchison spoke at the tea party about his entire childhood which was spent at the orphanage having arrived as a 10-month-old baby, suffering from pneumonia, alongside his eight brothers and sisters.  Speeches were also delivered by David Robb, Lynne O’Brien and Banffshire Lord Lieutenant Andrew Simpson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack and Rhys from Youthpoint Moray composed and performed a special tune on their bagpipes at the event and Vange spoke about the art created and on display, as part of the creative community, by local children and young people supported by Aberlour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several former residents were recorded speaking about their lasting memories of their time at the orphanage and wishes for the future. Whilst positive about his experience at Aberlour, Ron welcomed the change from placing children in large institutions to housing them in small, family-style homes and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>The young children today have got a much better chance to get going in life.  \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>He finished by offering an emotional message to those currently in care\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cp>I would like to encourage the younger people to stick to their guns – and not to give up on their dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cp>Exhibition boards and archive exhibits were displayed for two weeks in the Speyside Museum to give an insight into Aberlour Children’s Charity’s work  ‘Then and Now’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>","2025-05-19T00:00:00.000000Z","On Sunday 18th May a lucky few of us returned to our Moray roots to mark Aberlour’s 150th anniversary with an afternoon tea party hosted by our Chair, David Robb, at the Fleming Hall.\nGuests included former residents coming from as far afield as Cambridge","media\u002FIMG_9126 ex-residents.jpg","2025-06-05T11:11:49.000000Z","2025-06-05T11:13:58.000000Z",{"id":40,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":41,"slug":42,"content":43,"content_overview":11,"published_at":44,"seo_title":41,"seo_description":45,"image":46,"created_at":47,"updated_at":48},"01m5fanaffkxrzkrpj1x4keag4","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>","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"]