Stigma in accessing food during the summer holidays can have a lasting negative impact on children and families struggling to put food on the table, it has been claimed.
Labour councillors urging the Scottish Government to “provide a universal approach” to help people in this situation warned it can also have a detrimental effect on children as young as four.
During the most recent full council meeting, elected members from Labour and the Greens praised the work the council had done to eradicate food poverty but also stressed the need for the council to be informed on the future of the holiday hunger funding from the Scottish Government.
READ MORE: Number of Glasgow children in poverty 'shows need for universal holiday food programme'
Recent analysis estimated that 90,000 fewer children will live in relative and absolute poverty as a result of the Scottish Child Payment, the Adult Disability Payment and the uprating of Scottish benefits in line with inflation.
But just over 30% still live in poverty.
A joint motion and amendment presented to members stated that these new statistics still serve as a “wake up call” that further action is required and that Glasgow City Council is disappointed that the government has failed to provide the holiday food and activity programme for 2023.
Bailie Sharon Greer said: “Sadly today in our city, over a third of our children live in poverty. Despite the best of intentions, child poverty now sits at its highest level.
“That is likely to be even higher now after an increase in housing, utility and food costs. Every day we see headlines and reports about people struggling with the cost of living.
“However they only capture a snapshot of the suffering that is going on in households across the city and the country. The most heartbreaking struggle is that of the parents and carers who are struggling to feed themselves as well as their children.
“It is for that reason the holiday programme here in Glasgow and Club 365 in North Lanarkshire and other programmes across the country are really important and are praised by parents and carers.
“In 2022, the Scottish Government announced that it would provide £10 million for local authorities to provide these programmes and promised the same in 2023.
“But they also decided these programmes should be targeted. On paper, a laudable aim but in reality a mess and a move that could create further stigma and act against the very families we are trying to help.”
Councillor Greer went on to say that stigma in accessing food during holiday periods could be “completely destructive” to the kids themselves.
She went on: “That kind of stigma can live with those kids for the rest of their lives. It doesn’t matter what stage they are at, even kids as young at secondary school are susceptible to it.
“This council has made great strides in trying to eradicate that kind of stigma. We are particularly proud of that. It is also why the holiday food programme has been delivered on a universal basis.”
The Labour and Green amendment agreed that the council would recommit itself to removing stigma from potential food provision.
Bailie Anthony Caroll said: “The holiday food programme has been something now across parties we can be proud of leading in terms of an initiative that is helping to tackle child poverty outside school time.
“This year it has been a bit different. It has been the lack of clarity from the Scottish Government, not just in terms of what we’ve been mentioning about the funding side but it’s the guidance as well that is just as important for when we are delivering these programmes.”
Baillie Carol also said the council needed to be made aware if the funding would be made available in future years so the council could factor it into future budgets.
He added: “Part of our amendment is about what the UK government can do to end foodbank use and follow the Scottish Government’s methods in terms of what they are doing in that strategy.
“While on a council level it is right that we are able to provide our children holiday food and activity programmes, it is also right that we ask our Scottish Government colleagues to work a bit better with us in ensuring there is an open and transparent system in place to best service our city and communities.”
Glasgow City Council will now write to the Scottish Government, expressing its preference for a universal approach to food provision including its expansion of free school meals and disappointment that this year’s food programme was put at risk by failure to provide adequate funding on time.
The city treasurer will also write to the UK Government, suggesting it follows the Scottish Government’s lead in committing to deliver a UK wide action plan to end the need for food banks.
