Cash First approaches in Glasgow

Background

What are cash first approaches?

Cash first approaches provide people facing food insecurity with cash transfers or vouchers alongside advice and support to help maximise their incomes and prevent future crises. Where appropriate, they are an alternative to food aid referrals.

Why use cash first approaches?

Providing food aid provides immediate but temporary relief for people facing food insecurity. Cash first approaches offer more comprehensive support by enabling people to decide what their own immediate needs are, whether that includes groceries, paying an energy bill or shoes for their children. The ability to make these decisions can have an immediate impact on people’s lives and contribute to long term wellbeing and resilience.

Download IFAN infographic Cash first is common sense.

The Scottish Government published its groundbreaking plan towards ending the need for food banks in Scotland in June 2023 with a commitment to respecting and fulfilling human rights which includes the right to food, and for people to be able to access food that meets their dietary, social and cultural needs. 

Download IFAN infographic How to end the need for food banks.

Following on from this plan, the Scottish Government has funded eight Cash First partnership pilot projects for two years across Scotland to learn what works in different contexts. These Cash First partnerships are based in urban, rural and island settings across Scotland, and are taking different approaches to addressing levels of poverty and food insecurity, in line with their local context, infrastructure, challenges and user needs. The partnerships have been provided with learning and evaluation support to take a national approach to learning from the pilot projects, enabling any findings to be implemented by Scottish Government to achieve their long-term ambition of a Scotland without the need for food aid referrals. 

Download IFAN infographic Ending the need for charitable food aid.

The importance of advice

The provision of localised, accessible, and well-promoted advice services is critical to the delivery of cash first approaches in a community. Although many people still cannot manage on meagre social security payments and inadequate wages, any help to access any existing financial entitlements is key to a cash first approach to food insecurity given £23 billion in benefit payments and social tariffs goes unclaimed.

The importance of cash first referral leaflets

To enable frontline workers to refer people experiencing food insecurity to relevant, local cash first advice and support, the Scottish Government has funded the Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) to develop cash first referral leaflets (Worring about Money) for each local authority area.

Glasgow’s Worrying About Money Leaflet is available to download here, with translated versions available here.

Glasgow Helps leaflet is available to download here.