The gendered impact of public debt

Last updated: 25/11/2025

Many low-income families rely on social security to get by, yet are often required to repay parts of this income through debts such as Universal Credit advances, DWP loans, rent or council tax arrears and school meal debts. These repayments reduce already stretched budgets and push more families into hardship.

Across Scotland, the debt crisis is worsening. Rising living costs, reduced household incomes and weaknesses in the social security system mean more families are struggling to afford essentials.

For single parents, most of whom are women, living on a low income is especially challenging. However, little is known about whether women are also more likely to carry public debt.

This report uses customer data of those seeking advice for debt from Citizens Advice Scotland and StepChange to explore the circumstances and profiles of those with debt, especially public debt. It is the first time that Citizens Advice Scotland and StepChange data across the whole population of Scotland have been combined, harmonised and analysed in a comprehensive study of public debt.

OPFS, Aberlour and the Trussell Trust funded this research to understand how public debt is linked to child poverty, examine how gender affects the likelihood of having public debt and inform policies that can prevent families from falling deeper into debt.