Scottish parents forced to cut back on children's hobbies due to rising energy bills
Citizens Advice Scotland says research shows 48% of adults in the country have had to reduce household spending due to energy costs.
Last updated 10th Dec 2022
Almost half of Scots have had to reduce household spending to try to cope with rising energy bills, research has revealed, with almost one in 10 having made the "heart-breaking" decision to cut back on children's activities.
Research looking at the impact of rising energy bills found that 48% of adults in Scotland have had to cut back on household spending due to energy costs.
This included 9% - equivalent to 198,854 people - who have done so by reducing spending on hobbies and leisure activities for their children, such as after-school clubs, parties and school trips.
Meanwhile, 7% are cutting back on clothing and accessories, with Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) warning that as a result "tens of thousands" of children are missing out due to the cost-of-living crisis.
It had analysed polling data from YouGov, in which 1,002 adults were questioned - with 484 of them saying they had had to cut back on household spending due to rising energy costs.
The advice network has now launched its Big Energy Saving Winter campaign in a bid to help those worried about energy bills, urging people to seek advice from their local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Last year, they managed to unlock £132 million of cash for people through social security and employment entitlements.
CAS chief executive Derek Mitchell said: "In the run-up to Christmas, parents will want to treat their kids while balancing the demands of the cost-of-living crisis.
"This analysis suggest many are having to make the heart-breaking decision to cut back on things for their kids to deal with rising energy bills.
"That is a horrible situation for any parent to be in, and we would encourage anyone worried about energy bills and the cost of living to seek advice from the CAB network.
"We are for everyone, whether they are working or not. We don't judge, we just help.
"Our advisers get real results. Last year, we unlocked £132 million for people, and people who saw a financial benefit from seeking advice on average were over £4,200 better off."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "We know cost-of-living rises are putting a huge strain on households.
"The Scottish Government's council tax reduction scheme exists to ensure nobody has to pay a council tax bill they cannot afford. More than 450,000 households receive some level of discount on council tax, which can be as much as 100% of their bill.
"It isn't in councils' interests to have someone falling into arrears when they may be entitled to a council tax reduction.
"We have allocated almost £3 billion in this financial year which will help households face the increased cost of living, including £1 billion in providing services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK including Scottish child payment and child winter heating assistance.
"We would encourage anyone who is struggling with money to seek information on sources of support from our cost of living website (www.gov.scot/costofliving) and anyone worried about affording essentials like food or fuel should contact their local authority where they will be put in contact with local advice and support, including the Scottish welfare fund.
"We continue to support free debt and welfare advice services, and have allocated around £12.5 million this year to ensure people are able to access the advice, information and support they need to maximise their incomes."