- Consultation subject
- Tackling Poverty and Financial Exclusion Strategy
- Summary details
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At the moment we are faced with a challenging economic climate, food and fuel price inflation and cuts to the welfare system- which threaten to drive many of the most vulnerable people in the Borders into poverty or further into poverty- as well as undoing previous efforts to reduce poverty overall.
Poverty results in poorer educational, health and social outcomes for individuals, as well as being costly to society as a whole due to lower economic productivity and the increased demands on public services such as health care and children’s services.
The Tackling Poverty and Financial Exclusion Strategy aims to achieve better outcomes for the most vulnerable people in the Borders and will supplement activity outlined in the Single Outcome Agreement, Corporate Plan, activity of the Community Planning Partnership, as well as other complimentary strategies and local policies. - Department
- Housing Strategy Team
- Consultation findings/decisions
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The general response to the Tackling Poverty and Financial Exclusion Strategy has been very positive. The plan has covered the key areas and issues in the Scottish Borders however, there are a number of recommendations for emphasising particular areas and including some topics that are not in this draft. These include:
- More emphasis on health
- Impact of the Welfare Reform
- More recognition of the voluntary sector and their work
- Carers need to be recognised in the strategy
- More emphasis on the low carbon agenda
We are currently working on the final draft of the plan, incorporating all the comments from the consultation, updating relevant stats and any policy/ funding changes. The finalised version will be ready in due course. - Closing date
- 13 September 2013
