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

Stage 3: Assessing the impacts and identifying opportunities to promote equality.

Having considered the data and evidence you have gathered, this section requires you to consider the potential impacts – negative and positive – that your policy might have on each of the protected characteristics. It is important to remember the duty is also a positive one – that we must explore whether the policy offers the opportunity to promote equality and/or foster good relations.

Do you think that the policy impacts on people because of their age? Positive, Negative, None and reason for decision.

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Advancing equality of opportunity. Positive - Prevalence of food insecurity is higher in younger people, so improved access to emergency financial assistance and holistic support services may have a greater positive impact for this group.
• Promoting good relations among and between different age groups. None - No differential impacts have been identified.

Do you think that the policy impacts disabled people? Positive, Negative, None and reason for decision

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Advancing equality of opportunity. Positive - Evidence suggests that disabled people experience a higher prevalence of food insecurity, so improved access to income-boosting and holistic services may have a greater positive impact for this group. Access to income is likely to improve access to specialist foods needed to manage some disabilities.
• Promoting good relations among and between disabled and non-disabled people. None - No differential impacts have been identified.

Do you think that the policy impacts on men and women in different ways?

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Advancing equality of opportunity. Positive - Prevalence of food insecurity can be higher where sex intersects with other characteristics, so improved access to emergency financial assistance and holistic support services may have a greater positive impact for different sexes in different circumstances.
• Promoting good relations between men and women. None - No differential impacts identified.

Do you think that the policy impacts on women because of pregnancy and maternity?

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Advancing equality of opportunity. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Promoting good relations. None - No differential impacts have been identified.

Do you think your policy impacts on people proposing to undergo, undergoing, or who have undergone a process for the purpose of reassigning their sex? (NB: the Equality Act 2010 uses the term ‘transsexual people’ but ‘trans people’ is more commonly used)

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Advancing equality of opportunity. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Promoting good relations. None - No differential impacts have been identified.

Do you think that the policy impacts on people because of their sexual orientation?

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Advancing equality of opportunity. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Promoting good relations. None - No differential impacts have been identified.

Do you think the policy impacts on people on the grounds of their race?

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Advancing equality of opportunity. Positive - Evidence suggests that prevalence of food insecurity is higher in Black and Asian households, so improved access to income-boosting and holistic services may have a greater positive impact for these groups. Access to income is also likely to increase access to culturally appropriate food.
• Promoting good relations. None - No differential impacts have been identified.

Do you think the policy impacts on people because of their religion or belief?

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination. None - No differential impacts have been identified.
• Advancing equality of opportunity. Positive - Evidence suggests that poverty rates remain higher for Muslims than people of other religious/belief groups. Improved access to income is likely to improve access to specialist foods linked with religious observances and beliefs.
• Promoting good relations. None - No differential impacts have been identified.

Do you think the policy impacts on people because of their marriage or civil partnership?^[36]

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination. Not assessed.