Poverty in rural and island places is complex, multifaceted and hidden. Over the years, community bodies and people with lived expertise have repeatedly raised concerns over the different dynamics of poverty and inequality when they intersect with rurality - dynamics which require a specific policy response.
Despite the power of these voices, it was only in December 2021 that the Scottish Government published a document called Poverty in Rural Scotland: an evidence review signalling that national government was finally on the same page as grassroots expertise. It concluded that although rates of poverty appear significantly lower in rural Scotland when compared to urban Scotland, the available measurements did not readily identify poverty in rural and island places. For example, measurements failed to take into account the 15-30% higher cost of living, different employment patterns and greater distance from services in rural and island parts of the country. This review was followed by seminal research into rural child poverty (SRUC, 2022).
Scottish Rural Action has been working with our partners, in particular the Poverty Alliance, Consumer Scotland and the Rural & Islands Housing Associations Forum (RIHAF), to shine a light on the drivers of poverty in rural and island places (see image below or download here) and to develop policy that addresses these drivers.
Some of the workstrands we have recently contributed to, or continue to contribute to, include:
- SRA response to UK Parliament Cost of Living in Rural Scotland enquiry (2023)
- Delivered a workshop at the Poverty Alliance's Drawing a Line Conference on a MInimum Income Guarantee through a rural lens (2023)
- Contributed to the Cross Party Group on Poverty inquiry into rural poverty (2024)
- Contributed to RIHAF's report commissioned from Changeworks - A Perfect Storm - on fuel poverty in rural and island Scotland (2023)
- Members of the Poverty Alliances' Advisory Group on rural poverty (ongoing)
- Members of Consumer Scotland's Advisory Committee on Consumers in Vulnerable Circumstances (ongoing)
- Members of the RIHAF Fuel Poverty Action Group (ongoing)