Government measures

• The government has put initiatives in place to try and tackle inequalities, for example, Universal Credit, National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage
• While these initiatives have been effective in tackling some inequalities, not enough has been done
• Universal Credit


  A government policy to replace existing benefits with one universal payment
• In July 2023, the number of people on Universal Credit was 6.1 million, up from 5.5 million the previous year, and higher than the peak of 6 million in March 2021 during the pandemic
• Universal Credit has not been an effective method to reduce inequalities

  Poverty is at an all-time high
• Universal Credit


  • Gives people more freedom with their money and allows people to be more independent with their finances
  • Can put vulnerable people at risk of not being able to pay rent as the money goes through the government to the claimant to the landlord, which can cause the money to be spent elsewhere
• 3.1 million households are entitled to claim Universal Credit, in particular working families with children
• 9/10 low-income families receiving Universal Credit cannot pay for essentials
• Universal Credit falls £140 short of the minimum living cost and is the main driver of the increase in destitution and food bank use
• National Minimum Wage (NMW)

  Employers have to pay their employees a minimum amount of money or higher, which stops the exploitation of workers
• Since the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, total employment is up over 5 million and it has reduced the gender inequality gap as women account for 59% of low-paid jobs
• One third of those who benefit from the NMW are not heads of household but young people living at home or married women living with employed husbands
• National Living Wage (NLW)

  A higher minimum wage for over 25s to help with additional costs such as housing
• The NLW has helped a further 500,000 people on top of the 5 million since its introduction
• Many believe the NMW and NLW are not enough to live on due to the increased cost of living and the rates not matching up with inflation
• 1 in 5 workers still earn less than is needed to maintain a decent standard of living
• The Conservative Government has introduced new minimum wage rates to come into effect from April 2024, with the rate for over 21s being £11.44, nearly a 10% increase
• This shows the government is actively trying to reduce income inequality gaps and is moving in the right direction, but critics argue it is still not enough
• The working poor may have to take on other jobs or work longer hours in order to make ends meet, showing that this government response is not as effective in tackling social inequality
• The working poor have stated that it is simply not enough to help them
• The government response to tackling social inequality is not as effective
• The government has put out many measures to reduce inequalities in that area
• Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP)

  One unit of alcohol costs a minimum of 50p
• MUP has reduced alcohol sales by almost 5% since its introduction in 2008
• There was a 13.4% reduction in deaths and a 4.1% reduction in hospital admissions which were wholly attributed to alcohol consumption due to MUP
• MUP is said to be highly regressive and affects those on low incomes the most
• MUP cannot claim any success in reducing alcohol consumption, since alcohol related deaths were already declining in Scotland before MUP with statistics saying there was already a 13% drop
• MUP affects affordable, not cheap alcohol. It's a regressive price increase on alcoholic beverages that millions of its consumers which hits the poorest in society the hardest
• Obesity also causes problems in the UK and is closely linked to social class
• The Scottish Government has introduced a plan labeled "A Healthier Future" to tackle childhood obesity and reduce health inequalities in Scotland
• Scotland has one of the highest obesity rates in the world, higher than England and most other Western European countries
• Two out of three adults in Scotland are overweight and rates of childhood obesity are also significantly higher than the rest of the UK
• Around one third of children aged 2 to 15 are overweight and 17% of them are obese
• The estimated cost of obesity in Scotland is £900 million annually
• The obesity rate in the UK has remained constant in the past years and is now the leading cause of death in Scotland and can be linked to 23% of all deaths
• This shows the ineffectiveness of the measures to tackle a serious and growing problem in Scotland
• The Scottish government introduced a smoking ban in public places to reduce health inequities
• They also brought out legislation of legal purchase of tobacco (raising the age from 16 to 18 in 2007), a ban on self-service sales and tobacco display bans in shops have all encouraged young people to stop smoking
• In 1996, 9% of 14-year-olds smoked compared to 2% by 2016 which shows a positive reduction that can be attributed to the public smoking ban and other measures put in place by the government
• However, there is a significant difference in smoking habits between the richest and poorest, with 35% of the most deprived smoking compared to just over 10% of the least deprived