Blog: We should never stop challenging the injustice of poverty

Moving into the Spring is a perfect time to reflect on what’s come before and to start thinking about what 2025 might look like. We are already jotting down our plans for how we will Challenge Poverty this year, and how we will support, encourage and join others to call for a just and equal Scotland.  

Challenge Poverty Week (CPW) 2024  was approached in the same way as it always is – with hope and enthusiasm. We saw many more organisations collaborating with one another, the joining together of networks for events, and demonstrations of solidarity across the sector. We once again raised our voices loudly to highlight the injustice of poverty, and showed that action based on justice and compassion can create solutions.  

The week started with a damning, but necessary, headline which dominated the national press: Over one million Scots living in poverty as Governments blasted for lack of action. This was a stark reminder of the importance of our collective work over Challenge Poverty Week , a time for us all to raise our voices, highlight our strength in numbers and apply pressure to those in power to make the changes we so desperately need.  

In 2024, over 450 organisations joined us in calling for an end to poverty in Scotland –there continues to be demand for, and engagement with, this campaign and it is supported by many organisations who align closely with Poverty Alliance values. We worked alongside our members to present solutions, and joined them in shining a spotlight on the lived-experience of poverty in Scotland.

Each year, The Poverty Alliance takes time to evaluate CPW activity and events, which provides insight into what worked well, where we could make changes and what the impact of the week has been. Although CPW takes place one week of the year, our work under this banner takes place all year round. 

Policy Development and Support 

For 2024, we re-convened our short-life working group made up of a variety of organisations with varying expertise in anti-poverty work to help develop our policy asks. Our short-life working group met twice, and we are grateful for their contribution in helping us to review and further develop our key policy asks which continue to be supported by organisations across Scotland: An overview of CPW policy asks 2024.  

In 2023 we introduced our policy briefings in the form of “Breakfast Briefings” a series of webinars hosted during CPW with contributions from guest speakers exploring our policy asks in more detail. We were excited to be able to host these sessions again in 2024, and welcomed over 250 individuals to sessions over the course of the week. A perfect way to kickstart each morning of CPW.  

Influencing in the Scottish Parliament 

With deepening poverty and more people than ever falling into destitution, and with the backdrop of a snap general election as a well as a change in First Minister in Scotland, it had never felt more crucial to be engaging with policymakers.  

Activists with lived-experience of poverty, met with the First Minister (FM) during CPW and spoke about barriers to work, cuts to public services, stigma and prejudice, and the need to strengthen our social security system.  – There was a clear message that things didn’t have to be this way – our governments can make  changes to ensure everyone in Scotland has the essentials they need – a safe secure home, reliable and affordable public transport, and dignified access to food. 

 We were delighted that the First Minster later  spoke about this meeting in a pre-budget speech:  

“Recently I was able to spend some time speaking with people who have lived experience of poverty in Scotland. It’s a conversation that’s been in my thoughts ever since. 

Speaking to them and hearing their stories, I recognise all too well from my many years of experience as a public servant, that it is our moral obligation to ensure every person living in Scotland can fulfil their potential – no matter their background.” – First Minister, John Swinney  

Poverty Alliance member organisations also met with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, to discuss fair funding for the third sector. The discussion was constructive and focussed on various aspects of the CPW policy asks; the impact of poverty on their organisations and the communities they work within. We will continue to work towards securing similar opportunities to ensure the voices of those with experience of living on a low income and our policy asks remain high on the political agenda. This becomes increasingly important with Scottish Parliament elections on the horizon.