WOMEN DISPROPORTIONATELY HIT BY POVERTY

I was delighted to lead for the SNP in a debate on supporting women in poverty.

Women are more likely to in lower-paid jobs, more likely than their male counterparts to be single parents, more likely to have caring responsibilities and even more likely to rely on social security. They are also much more likely to be living in poverty once they retire, due to the gender pension gap.

The cost-of-living crisis is impacting everyone, but there can be little doubt that women are disproportionately impacted. While the Scottish Government are doing all it can to support household incomes, it does so with one hand tied behind its back with 85% of welfare spending reserved to Westminster.

No debate about women poverty can take place without a recognition of the hardship women born in the 1950s – WASPI women – who have been subjected to when they were denied their rightful pensions with little or no notice and I urged the UK Government again to address this scandal.

I suggested a range of ways women can be better protected from poverty if only the UK Government would use its powers to do so.

Watch my contribution to the debate below 👇.