Poverty is a Political Choice
that Scotland's next government must change by Emma Jackson, head of the CAS Social Justice team.
This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday on 15th March 2026.
‘Difficult choices’. It’s become a strap line for politicians of all colours. Presented like a get out of jail card for decision-makers when faced with colliding priorities, to somehow ease the blow for those forced to bear the cost of their conundrum.
Government is undoubtedly complex; the decisions affect every aspect of our lives and our economy. But in Scotland today, the people who face the most difficult choices, are the hundreds of thousands the Citizens Advice network supports.
If you were to speak to any adviser in one of our CABs located in communities all across Scotland, the same story of hunger, hardship and hopelessness would dominate the conversation, as staff and volunteers work tirelessly to improve people’s lives.
Yes, this about people in crisis facing unimaginable choices – families unable to afford the weekly food shop, pensioners terrified to turn the heating on, eviction notices and homelessness. But this is also about people facing chronic harm. Broken systems that are failing, meaning people are corralled down long-term paths of debt and destitution. No real choices for people to make here.
More than two thirds of everyone who visits a local CAB live in the most deprived communities in Scotland. People like Andy. Andy been supported by his local CAB since 2013, needing help with getting enough to eat, keeping his home warm and applying for vital social security. Over the last seven years, he’s faced repeated rents arrears, threatened homelessness, and issues with the repair and maintenance of his social home.
For Andy, the CAB has been his safety net: advice services form an essential part of Scotland's anti-poverty infrastructure. But the failure of the system means that these points of crisis keep happening – and will keep happening unless there is a deliberate choice to change this. The next Scottish Government can choose to change this. Deliver not just the ambition, but the action and agency to really make a difference.
The 2030 child poverty targets set by the Scottish Parliament are on our horizon – a declaration of our collective ambition. Evidence from academics, economists and the third sector alike has documented the action needed if we are to meet these: there is no credible route to these targets without significant investment in social security for the families who need it most. Will we see our next First Minister draw on all of the agency available to them to act and achieve this and more?
Yes, we must tackle child poverty, but we simultaneously need to tackle the scourge of poverty the blites all who are forced to endure its relentless harm. Disabled people. Single adult households. Those in rural and island communities.
Poverty is not inevitable. It is a political choice. In a just and compassionate Scotland, we need those who form the next Scottish Government to choose something better. Ambition that is anchored to investment. While there are no silver bullets for this – there needs to be a gold standard that enables all of us to live decent and dignified lives. This means urgent action delivered in a cohesive, targeted manner across prioritised areas like housing, social security, public debt, fuel poverty and advice services. These are the choices the next Scottish Government can and must make.