How community-led organisations support cash first approaches
/This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 6th March 2024.
Cash first approaches are becoming increasingly prominent, with many funders, community organisations and the government recognising that providing money, rather than in-kind support, gives people the agency to buy what they personally need, and reduces stigma. With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis causing a surge in foodbank use, it’s a particularly pressing issue.
Public Health Scotland has recently published a report which outlines how community-led food initiatives can play their part in supporting cash first approaches to food insecurity. The paper outline why it can be so effective, and where this approach fits in a policy landscape that includes the ongoing Good Food Nation consultation and Scottish Human Rights Bill.
The report also highlights the holistic approach many community-led groups take and discusses that, while cash or vouchers are more dignified and less stigmatising than food parcel distribution, they don’t solve the underlying causes of poverty itself. Helping people to maximise income and access other support services should go hand-in-hand with payments.
Of course, community organisations can only provide this kind of support if they’re resourced to do so, and the same inequalities will persist unless fundamental changes to our tax and social security systems take place.
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