From rising child poverty rates to the challenges faced by disabled people, a decade of economic stagnation and biting austerity cuts have left many communities in Scotland in precarious living situations, says HuffPost UK.
Reporters from The Ferret and a filmmaker from HuffPost UK worked together to bring reports and documentaries covering these urgent issues facing some of the most vulnerable communities in Scotland.
The four reports are:
Child Poverty In Fife: Mums Susan and Kim from the Levenmouth area in Fife, Scotland are doing everything they can to give their children the best shot at life. Child poverty rates in some areas of Fife are as high as 37%.
Drug Deaths In Dundee: 53 people died in Dundee from drug-related deaths in 2018. Meet the families and activists trying to cope with the complex issue of addiction. Dundee has the most drugs deaths per capita in Europe, a public health crisis unfolding as cuts to services weakened the ability of public servants to respond.
Disabled In Glasgow: Nearly half of households in poverty have a disabled family member. This year, £56 million was lost to disability cuts in Scotland. In this short documentary, they follow Alan and Susan who are both disabled and trying to adjust to life under austerity.
Leaving The Care System: Young people leaving the care system are more likely to be living in poverty than the rest of the population. In this short documentary, they follow two care experienced young people trying to break that trend – and help change the system for future generations.
