Christians working at the forefront of poverty in the Highlands have joined forces with churches throughout Scotland to call for urgent action to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Staff at Inverness Cathedral say it has given out support to more than 5,000 families, as church leaders urge the UK and Scottish governments to “set aside” their political differences and address poverty now.
The Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church say they are “deeply concerned about the plight facing low-income families”.
Lord Wallace, moderator of the General Assembly, Rt Rev Hugh Gilbert, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland and Most Revd Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church have signed a joint letter ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s spring statement tomorrow.
Giving examples of where the church is on the frontline of helping those living in extreme poverty, Inverness Cathedral provost Sarah Murray said it had set up multiple groups to help people – for free.
Choice has to be made between ‘heating or eating’
In a statement to the chancellor, church leaders wrote: “The cost of living is rising fast.
“Energy bills are expected to increase significantly in April and inflation is pushing up the cost of essentials, including food.
“This will hurt low income families more than most and push more people into deep poverty, creating for some the grim choice between eating or heating.”
The church leaders said it is a tragedy that poverty, especially child poverty, continues to be a significant problem in the United Kingdom in 2022.
Provost Sarah Murray of the Scottish Episcopal Church said its InSpire project provides essential services to people in the Highlands who are most in need.
It provides a school uniform bank, a winter jacket bank, blanket and hot water bottle bank, emergency food bank and school holiday lunches.
In the last few months its blanket and hot water bottle bank alone has given away help to more than 100 people who were cold and unable to heat their homes.
‘We have handed out more than 100 blankets and hot water bottles’
Mrs Murray said: “In the time we have been offering InSpire we have helped more than 5,000 people [with uniforms and jackets] who have been able to access this extra help to provide for their children under 18 years of age.
“Within one mile of the cathedral and a few streets away there are marked areas of multiple deprivation, generally less visible and perhaps less evident to the visitor to Inverness.
“This past winter we were aware of the increasing pressure on the choice of ‘heating or eating’ and so we offered fleecy blankets and hot water bottles as a small way to help with this issue.
“Over the last two years we have seen an increase in the factors affecting families in our area, from the pressure of Universal Credit to the furlough scheme and the end of the scheme, to the increase in the cost of living.”