The study ranks areas of the Scotland according to the hardship
they face, and highlights vast differences in fortunes among
groups. The figures show one in ten families in Glasgow faces
severe disadvantage – three times the national average. The
study published today by the think-tank Demos looks beyond
purely financial measures of poverty and examines instead how a
combination of issues such as unemployment, overcrowding and
poor health can compound problems faced by families. The study
looked at low income, unemployment, physical and mental health
problems and a lack of qualifications in 28,000 households in
Scotland. Families affected by four or more disadvantages were
considered "severely disadvantaged". Louise Bazalgette, the
report's author, said the work recognises that hardship is about
more than low income. "It provides insight into the struggle
thousands of families across Scotland go through on a daily
basis coping with poverty, worklessness and poor health," she
said. "The extent of severe disadv