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Energy costs and childcare top list of concerns at Buckie cost of living surgery


By Alan Beresford

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THE struggle to make ends meet as the cost of living crisis deepens took centre stage at a special drop-in event in Buckie.

MSP Karen Adam (right) and Buckie councillor Sonya Warren were kept busy with cost of living issues at the recent surgery in Buckie. Picture: Daniel Forsyth
MSP Karen Adam (right) and Buckie councillor Sonya Warren were kept busy with cost of living issues at the recent surgery in Buckie. Picture: Daniel Forsyth

Local MSP Karen Adam, accompanied by Buckie SNP councillor Sonya Warren, was in town as part of her cost of living pop-up surgery tour across the constituency.

Ms Adam has also invited other agencies along to the surgeries in order to have expert advice on hand for constituents, with Social Security Scotland (SSS) joining her in the Fishermen's Hall on Friday, August 5.

She said: "The surgeries so far have given me a greater insight into what's happening in local communities, what people are struggling with and what's pertinent to each one.

"What I've been seeing is groups of issues bespoke to individual areas not just one set of issues across the board.

"One of the major concerns voiced in Buckie has been the lack of availability of wraparound childcare. For many people this is affecting the hours they can work.

"Energy costs have figured a lot in my surgeries so far as has the cost of food. I've heard of instances of people going to food banks and asking for food that doesn't need to be cooked as they either can;t afford to cook it or don't have a cooker.

"One of the aims of these surgeries and inviting along the likes of SSS or the Citizens' Advice Bureau is so that people can find out what benefits and grants they're entitled to straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

"Many people also don't know what their MSP can do for them and I'm looking to be proactive here rather than reactive.

"With a greater insight to what the issues are and where they're occurring I can go back and reach out to the Scottish parliament, councils and other organisations to help."

With her Banffshire and Buchan constituency spanning two local authority areas – Moray and Aberdeenshire – Ms Adam said she had gained an insight into how important it was for councils to consider carefully how they provide various services helping those hit hard by the cost of living crisis.

"The difference in policy and provision in certain services can make a huge difference to local people and the support they receive," she continued.

"A local authority which has best practice in a particular area of service delivery can make a big difference to people who are struggling compared to one which doesn't have best practice.

"Services need to be both efficient and approachable."

Councillor Warren said that the surgery had been a very worthwhile experience.

"As a councillor I was already aware of many of the issues raised and it was good to get an extra insight into what people are struggling with and concerned about," she commented.

"It was also very encouraging to see people to take the problems and issue they have forward to their MSP.

"This has been a very useful joint surgery."

With the Bank of England announcing a rise in interest rates and with the energy cap likely to rise yet again, Ms Adam warned that more and more people were going to be snared by the net of desperation.

She added: "It's important to get the message out there to people just how much this will impact their everyday lives.

"Interest rates and inflation will have a serious impact and we've to try and forearm folk.

"There's a lot of fear as to what's going to happen. Even people who previously had disposable incomes will now be living hand to mouth while people who're already on the breadline don;t know what they're going to do.

"I'm hoping to open up places where people can keep warm and charge their phone."

It's abhorrent that we have to be doing things like this in 2022."

Organisations willing to participate in the surgeries should book a stall by contacting Ms Adam’s Community Engagement Co-ordinator at Alan.Petrie@Parliament.scot

Constituents can contact Ms Adam for support by emailing Karen.Adam.MSP@Parliament.scot

SSS

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