Current status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is currently taking to tackle pensioner poverty in Scotland.
We work closely with partners, including through the Older People’s Strategic Forum (OPSAF) on a range of issues related to age equality. This includes the Strategic Action Framework ‘A Fairer Scotland for Older People’, in which Ensuring Financial Security is a priority area. We are running a number of Roundtables throughout Scotland to hear from older people and older people's organisation as part of the refresh of the Framework.
We support projects that enable older people to live independent and fulfilling lives. Our Equality and Human Rights Fund provides over £2.2M to support older people’s organisations and age equality projects and programmes. We also launched a £3.8m Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund on 8 March 2023 which funds 53 projects supporting people at risk of social isolation and loneliness.
Between Oct 23-March 24 the Equalities and Human Rights Fund resulted in a total of 17,350 individuals helped directly with the provision of support information and advice, with £1097,832 of income maximisation and 1,039 organisations have also been supported via capacity building and information sharing.
We have committed to investing over £12 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice services in 2024-25, including support for the Citizens Advice Scotland Money Talk Team Service, which last year supported over 9,000 older people.
The Scottish Government recognises the positive contribution older people make to their communities. We aim to enable better access to a range of services for older people as and when they need them. We want to ensure people are financially secure and supported as they age.