Western Isles poverty seminar 23/2/12
A seminar on Welfare Reform and the Universal Credit was held in the Council Chamber at CnES recently to provide information for high strategy planners from local organisations with regards to the impacts of the new welfare system on local poverty levels.
There were presentations at the seminar from Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, Oxfam, and the Citizens Advice Bureau, while participants included the Health Board, HHP, Northern Constabulary, Voluntary Sector organisations, and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
Among the actions looked at and discussed during the seminar were: raising awareness with claimants; a universal Claim It strategy; strategic thinking about energy/housing and energy efficiency; and using the Credit Union and other local infrastructure to support people. These actions will be discussed at the next meeting of the Community Planning Partnership on 29 February 2012 and the next meeting of Policy and Resources at the Comhairle on 8 March 2012.
Councillor Norman A MacDonald, Vice Chair of Policy and Resources at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said: “This was a very worthwhile and productive seminar, which has given us the opportunity to take stock of current and ongoing reforms and look at the best way forward in dealing with changes to the welfare system and tackling poverty in the Western Isles.
“We are faced with a period when welfare reforms are going to impact significantly on the lives of people in the islands, and it’s important that all relevant organisations work together to prepare for this and minimise the risk of vulnerable people slipping into poverty.”