Cash-First: Towards ending the need for food banks in Scotland Equality Impact Assessment

Stage 2 Protected Characteristics - Data and evidence gathering, involvement and consultation

Include here the results of your evidence gathering (including framing exercise), including qualitative and quantitative data and the source of that information, whether national statistics, surveys or consultations with relevant equality groups.

Characteristic^[11]

Age – Data availability is strong

Across the UK,^[12] official statistics for 2021-22 indicate –

• Prevalence of food insecurity was highest amongst young adults (18% of those aged 16-24) and this generally reduced as age increased, with 3% of adults aged 65-74 and 1% of adults over 75-84 reporting that they are food insecure.

In Scotland,^[13] official statistics for 2021, suggest –

• Younger adults were the most likely to be worried they would run out money for food: affecting 14% of those aged 16-44, compared with 8% of those aged 45-64, and 1% of those aged 65 and above.
• Younger adults were the most likely to report that they had eaten less: affecting 9% of those aged 16-44, compared with 7% of those aged 45-64, and 1% of those aged 65.
• Younger adults were the most likely to report that they had run out of food because of a lack of resources: affecting 4% of those aged 16-64, and 0.5% of those aged 65 and above.

In Scotland,^[14] official statistics covering 2019-22 suggest –

• 36% of people in households with household heads aged 16-24 were in relative poverty after housing costs (160,000 people each year).
• In comparison, the age groups 25-34, 35-44, 45-54 and 55-64 all had similar (and lower) poverty rates between 17% and 22%.

The Trussell Trust end-year statistics from April 2022-March 2023^[15] do not highlight any specific age ranges experiencing food insecurity. The data available highlighted 171,776 food parcels issued to adults in Scotland with 87,968 (33.8%) to children in Scotland. These figures reflect a 30% increase compared to 2021/2022.

Data collated from the Independent Food Aid Network^[16] does not highlight any specific age ranges or numbers of people experiencing food insecurity. A snapshot UK-wide survey in January 2023 suggests that 24.4% of households with children experienced food insecurity in January 2023 compared to 12.1% in January 2022.

Disability – Data availability on disability is strong

Across the UK,^[17] official statistics for 2021-22 indicate that –

• 16% of households with one or more disabled adults under State Pension Age (66) experienced low or very low food security. ^[18]
• 11% of households with one or more disabled adults experienced low or very low food security, compared with 3% of households with no disabled adults. ^[19]
• 7% of households with one or more disabled adults under State Pension Age (66) used a food bank in the last 12 months (based on household composition). ^[20]
• 5% of households with one or more disabled adults used a food bank in the last 12 months (based on disability within the household).^[21]

In Scotland,^[22] official statistics covering 2019-22, indicate that –

• The poverty rate after housing costs for people in households with a disabled person was 24% (560,000 people each year).
• This compares with 18% (550,000 people) in a household without disabled household members.

In Scotland^[23], data highlighted that –

• 15% of adults with limiting longstanding illness were worried they would run out of food because of a lack of money or resources in the last 12 months.
• 5% of adults with a non-limiting longstanding illness and 7% of those adults with no limiting illness worried they would run out of food because of a lack of money or resources.
• 6% of adults with limiting longstanding illness ran out of food because of a lack of money or resources in the last 12 months.
• 2% of adults with non-limiting longstanding illness and 2% of adults with no limiting longstanding illness ran out of food because of a lack of money or resources.

Across the UK,^[24] in early 2020, data highlighted that –

• 62% of working age people referred to a Trussell Trust food bank had a disability, (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) over three times more than the general population.
• People referred to food banks also differed from the general population with regards to the severity of their disability.
• Two thirds (66%) of households referred to a food bank in early 2020 had one or more members with a disability, as defined by activities being limited a little or a lot.

Additional costs associated with disabilities vary in level and nature, affecting drivers of poverty for this group. This can include having access to specialist foods needed to manage some disabilities. In December 2022,^[25] Citizens Advice Scotland published data on the impact of the cost of living crisis for people living with a disability or long term health condition which indicated that 15% have to cook specific meals and may face higher costs.

Sex - Data availability on sex is strong

In Scotland,^[26] official statistics covering 2021 indicate that there was no significant difference in prevalence of food insecurity between men and women.

Across the UK,^[27] official statistics indicate that –

• 22% of single parent households experienced low or very low food security.
• This decreased for households with two or more adults.
• No evidence was provided to clarify the sex of the adults within the households with children in the Family Resources Survey.

In Scotland,^[28] the poverty rate was highest for single mothers (36%) and single childfree men (36%). The poverty rate for single childfree women was 30%. Estimates for single fathers are not available due to small sample sizes.

Across the UK,^[29] in mid-2020, 28% of those referred to a Trussell Trust food bank were single adult men compared to 14% single adult women.

Pregnancy and Maternity - no data available.

Gender reassignment - no data available.

Sexual Orientation - Data availability is reasonable.

In Scotland^[30], official statistics indicate that the poverty rate has been consistently higher for LGB+ adults compared to straight / heterosexual adults. In 2019-22, 27% of LGB+ adults were in poverty, compared to 20% of straight adults and 17% of adults whose sexual orientation was unknown.

Race - Data availability is good.

Across the UK, in 2021-22, data highlighted that –

• 19% of ‘Black/African/Caribbean/Black British’ headed households experienced low or very low food security, compared to 16% ‘Arab’ households, 12% of mixed or multiple ethnic groups, 8% of ‘Asian and Asian British’ headed households, 8% of other ethnic group households and 6% of ‘White’ headed households.^[31]
• 7% of ‘Black/African/Caribbean/Black British’ headed households used food banks in the last 12 months, compared to 6% ‘Arab’ headed households, 5% ‘mixed and multiple ethnic groups’, 3% ‘Asian and Asian British’ headed households, 3% ‘White’ headed households and 2% of other ethnic groups.^[32]

In Scotland,^[33] official statistics covering 2017-22, indicate that –

• People from non-white minority ethnic groups were more likely to be in relative poverty after housing costs compared to those from the 'White - British' and 'White - Other' groups.
• The poverty rate was 49% for the 'Asian or Asian British' ethnic groups and 48% for 'Mixed, Black or Black British and Other' ethnic groups (no population estimates available due to the small sample).
• The poverty rate amongst the 'White - Other' group was 23% (80,000 people) and that of the 'White British' group was 18% (860,000 people).

Trussell Trust end-year statistics from April 2022-March 2023^[34] do not highlight any data of numbers people experiencing food insecurity who belong to a particular race or ethnic minority group.

Religion or Belief - Data availability is reasonable.

In Scotland,^[35] between 2017 and 2022, data highlighted that –

• Muslim adults were more likely to be in relative poverty (63%, 40,000 each year) than adults overall (19%), after housing costs were taken into account.

• Of adults belonging to the Church of Scotland, 16% were in relative poverty after housing costs (170,000 adults each year), compared to 19% of Roman Catholic adults (110,000 adults) and adults of other Christian denominations (19%; 60,000 adults).