We have compiled third sector research investigating the cost of living crisis.
The Cost of Living and Wellbeing Crisis: Quarterly Bulletins
Volunteer Scotland is publishing Quarterly Bulletins throughout 2023 and into 2024.
Drawing upon the Scottish Government’s YouGov surveys and the Scottish Third Sector Tracker the Quarterly Bulletins examine impacts such as:
- Financial impacts on household finances and people’s ability to pay for groceries and household bills.
- Health and wellbeing impacts including mental and physical health; and spending time/connecting with others.
- Demographic variations by gender, age, social class, economic status and urban/rural.
- The impact of the crisis on the demand for TSOs’ services, their cost base and turnover.
- Key challenges which TSOs have faced in the previous three months.
- Implications for volunteering in areas such as change in volunteer numbers, volunteer shortages and the resources required to manage volunteers during the crisis.
Additional costs of disability in Scotland –
A briefing on the additional costs of disability in Scotland for the Social Justice and
Social Security Committee.
Chirsty McFadyen (University of Strathclyde), Dr Laura Robertson (The Poverty Alliance) and Emma Congreve (University of Strathclyde), undertook research to find out the additional costs of disability in Scotland.
To prepare their findings, the researchers analysed publicly available data. They also worked with six disabled people living in Scotland to hear what extra costs they are facing in their daily life and what their experience of accessing support has been like.
The researchers reported their findings to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee in March 2024. Read the briefing here.
In addition to their briefing, Chirsty McFadyen and Dr Laura Robertson published a guest blog on the additional costs of disability.
A Crisis on our Doorstep – Barnardo’s UK
Exposes the severe impact of the cost-of-living crisis on children, young people and families across the UK. View here.
Disabled People, Unpaid Carers and the Cost-of-Living Crisis: Impacts, Responses, and Long Term Solutions – The Alliance
Calls for final support. View here.
“It’s Hard Work Being Poor” – Scottish Women’s Budget Group
Women’s experiences of the cost-of-living crisis in Scotland. View here.
Living without a lifeline – One Parent Families Scotland
Feedback from 260 single parents highlights their experiences and priorities. View here.
Members Meet Up: What Price Health? The Cost-of-Living Crisis, Health and the Third Sector – Voluntary Health Scotland
Members discussed how the cost-of-living crisis was impacting their organisations and the people they support. View here.
Public Dept and Arrears in Scotland – The Robertson Trust
The Robertson Trust has published new research showing that many low-income families are being pushed into debt and arrears by the public bodies meant to be helping them through the cost-of-living emergency. View here.
Research lessons from cost of living study – Volunteer Scotland
“Testing our resilience” was a paper investigating the impact of the cost of living crisis on volunteering and volunteers. View here.
Researching rising costs using a longitudinal panel study – SCVO
The Scottish Third Sector Tracker (Tracker) is a community of third sector organisations. The community was established in response to the pandemic as third sector support organisations, including SCVO, Scottish Government and funders, sought to understand the challenges facing third sector organisations and how best to support them. View here.
Cost of Living, 2022 – Social Enterprise Scotland
Social Enterprise Scotland hosted a session for all social enterprises who are concerned about inflation and the significant and spiralling increases in the cost of living. View here.
The Cost of Living Crisis in Scotland: analytical report – Scottish Government
This report draws together analysis from a wide range of sources to provide an overview of emerging evidence on the cost of living crisis. It has been produced by a cross-government group of analysts. View here.
Keeping the Doors Open – Age Scotland
What do older people’s community groups need to recover from the impact of Covid-19? View here.
