Mould cases in Scotland skyrocket amid cost of living crisis
Photo by Olena Shmahalo on Unsplash
Scotland’s homes are being blighted by mould amid the cost of living crisis, putting lives at risk.
The Scottish government have cut the £30m funding for the Fuel Insecurity Fund in their 2024-25 budget, despite committing to triple the allocation in 2023.
Meanwhile, record numbers of Scots are reporting cases of mould and dampness as they fall into fuel poverty as their health is affected due to their living conditions.
Rona Proudfoot, lead for communities and unions with Fuel Poverty Action Glasgow, said: “Last year, 521 Scots died purely because they were living in cold and damp conditions; this number is estimated to have increased this year to 900 over the 2023/24 winter.
“These deaths could have been easily avoided if these people had access to affordable energy.
“Over 14,000 homes have reported having mould or dampness in the past year; that’s a 20% increase year on year, and we expect a steeper rise in the coming year because of the rise in energy prices.”
Health concerns around mould and dampness have been heightened since the devastating death of toddler Awaab Ishak in 2020 in Rochdale.
Ishak’s cause of death was revealed to be from a respiratory condition caused by “extensive” mould.
The Fuel Insecurity Fund being axed came as part of a double blow to lower-income families as the Affordable Housing Supply Programme saw a near-30% cut in the 2024/25 budget.
Jackie Baillie, Labour MSP and party spokesperson on health, said: “The SNP have made many promises to the people of Scotland, on which they have failed to deliver.
“Free bikes and free laptops for every school pupil spring to mind, alongside the cuts made and the crisis in our NHS.
“It is unforgivable to backtrack on vital energy funding for the most vulnerable households at a time of the worst cost-of-living crisis since the Second World War.”
When approached for comment, the SNP stated that although the fuel insecurity fund is not committed for 2024-25, they will continue with investments already in place.
They refused to comment further on why the fund had been cut, placing the burden on the UK government despite having used devolved powers to provide it in the first place.
Proudfoot called for action from the SNP, she said: “There needs to be some serious discussions on how we help households and housing providers to remove damp.
“No action has been taken, and with the increase of unnecessary deaths of Scots who simply could not put their heating on and have been living in cold and damp conditions, this is unsupportable, and we need to call on the Scottish government to do more to help the most vulnerable people in our society.”
Baillie added: “The SNP is a party of broken promises, it has run out of ideas and run out of time to help the people of Scotland.”
Donald is a third year Multimedia Journalism student at Glasgow Caledonian University.
