Bankruptcy and Debt Arrangement Scheme (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023: equality impact assessment

Key Findings

Age

Citizen Advice has highlighted that children and disabled people are more likely to be living in fuel poverty rather older people. Additionally working age households are more likely to be struggling with their energy bills than elderly people.

Disability

The Cost of Living Crisis in Scotland: analytical report published on 2 November 2022 states households with one or more disabled people are more likely to be in poverty. Disabled people often use more energy, as many need to keep heating on for medical reasons, or use electricity to charge essential equipment such as mobility aids. Recent data from Scotland shows that nearly one in four families (23%) where someone is disabled are behind on at least one bill or payment and 4% are behind on three or more bills. The Independent Review of the Funding of Debt Advice in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by Peter Wyman (the Wyman review) highlights 40% of debt advice clients suffer from a disability or long-term health condition.

These Regulations could help to mitigate this impact. The changes do not provide any direct barrier to entry based on disability - they work towards advancing equality of opportunity.

Sex

The Cost of Living Crisis in Scotland: analytical report published on 2 November 2022 says that lone parent households, which are more likely to be headed by women, are at a much higher risk of poverty than the average household and have the highest living costs relative to their net income of all household types.

The Money Advice Service estimates that 64% of over-indebted people are female, whilst the Wyman review suggests that 59% of debt advice clients are female.

These regulations could help mitigate this impact.

Pregnancy and Maternity

The full EQIA does not identify any impact on women because of pregnancy and maternity.

Gender Reassignment

The full EQIA does not identify any impact on people proposing to undergo, undergoing, or who have undergone a process for the purpose of reassigning their sex.

Sexual Orientation

The full EQIA does not identify any impact on people because of their sexual orientation.

Race

The full EQIA does not identify any impact on people on the grounds of their race.

Religion or Belief

The full EQIA does not identify any impact on people because of their religion or belief.