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

Equality Impact Assessment – Results

Executive Summary

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

Summary of aims and desired outcomes of policy

The Plan details the nine targeted actions the Scottish Government will take over the next three years, alongside partners, to improve the response to crisis and start to reduce the need for emergency food parcels.

Background

The Scottish Government’s 2021 and 2022 Programmes for Government committed to publishing a Plan, grounded in human rights, that sets out the further action we will take to improve the response to hardship so as to reduce the need for food banks. This is a cornerstone of our commitment to tackling poverty, protecting and fulfilling the right to food and achieving our Good Food Nation ambition.

A draft Plan was developed with contributions from a stakeholder steering group and direct experience reference group, and this was published for consultation between 20 October 2021 and 25 January 2022.^[39] There were over 400 responses^[40] and an independent analysis of views has been published.^[41] This reaffirmed a shared consensus across Scotland, including among food banks and other food aid providers, for a human rights informed approach to ensure that everyone can afford an adequate diet.

Since then, the rising cost of living has caused more people to cut back, skip meals, seek assistance from food banks, and in extreme cases to go without food completely. Food bank networks are reporting unprecedented demand for their services, but have also indicated that some Scottish Government interventions such as the Scottish Child Payment may have helped to slow the pace of demand from some households.

On 5 June 2023, the Scottish Government published “Cash-First – Towards ending the need for food banks in Scotland” ^[42] (the Plan). This details the nine targeted actions the Scottish Government will take over the next three years, alongside other public bodies, local services and anti-poverty organisations to improve the response to crisis and start to reduce the need for emergency food parcels. The learning from these actions will help to identify scalable interventions that move us closer towards our longer term ambition of a Scotland without the need for food banks, which we will continue to pursue to the fullest of our power and resource.

Our shared ambition is that everyone has a sufficient and secure income to be able to access food that meets their needs and preferences. Where financial hardship occurs, coordinated local responses are in place which prioritise cash-first assistance and integrate money advice and other holistic support services to reduce the need for food aid and prevent future hardship. Where help to access food is still needed, this is provided in a way that maximises dignity.

The scope of the Equalities Impact Assessment

An EQIA was undertaken to assess the potential impact of the plan and associated actions on individuals and households. The aim was to identify potential positive and negative equality impacts for those with protected characteristics and consider actions to mitigate against these. This included reviewing official statistics on prevalence of food insecurity, evidence from frontline services, research publications, and consultation responses.

Key findings

There is evidence of higher levels of food insecurity and food bank use in people with some protected characteristics including age, disability, and race. It is therefore expected that action to improve the response to financial hardship is likely to have a greater impact on these groups, including the priority families in relation to Tackling Child Poverty where there is intersectionality with several protected characteristics.^[43] No disaggregated food insecurity data is currently collected in relation to pregnancy and maternity or gender reassignment.

The available evidence generally focuses on one protected characteristic at a time, but it will be important to be mindful of the intersections between experiences through the delivery of the Plan and associated actions. Internal cross-policy engagement has highlighted evidence of high prevalence of food insecurity and barriers to accessing support services in other groups beyond the list of protected characteristics – for example, people with No Recourse to Public Funds, and those living in remote or rural communities.

Recommendations and conclusions

This assessment has helped to frame the priorities within the Plan, which recognises the household groups most impacted and considers targeting and inclusion across the associated actions.

This includes continued support for the Scottish Crisis Fund which offers support based on a referral from trusted agencies and is inclusive of those who may otherwise be ineligible for government support. The crisis response pilot with Citizens Advice Scotland aims to provide greater agency and choice to those experiencing crisis through cash grants and shopping cards, which may help to better meet different needs and preferences. An evaluation report will be published when the pilot ends.

Locally tailored cash-first tools such as the Independent Food Aid Network leaflets^[44] have been developed alongside a range of local services representing diverse needs and have been translated and provided in inclusive formats.

The Plan reaffirms support for the community food sector and other trusted partners that can help overcome barriers to services, and it reaffirms that food insecurity policy and practice will continue to be guided by direct experience.

Impact will be monitored throughout the three year delivery of the Plan and learning will help to identify scalable interventions that move us closer towards our longer term ambition of a Scotland without the need for food banks.