Our history
We have been developed to reduce financial exclusion by increasing access to financial goods and products.
With support from Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Housing Association, ng homes, Royal Bank of Scotland, Communities Scotland and others, we focus on the needs of those who experience difficulties accessing mainstream financial services. We work with various debt advice agencies to provide assistance to access money advice services and consider this a key early intervention mechanism for interrupting the cycle of debt. Seeing the demand for a fair and affordable product in Glasgow has led to the UK wide expansion of Scotcash. Throughout the UK, many face difficult financial circumstances and Scotcash is aimed at tackling this.
It is estimated that 22% of all adults in the UK have less than £100 in savings and that 16% are borrowing to pay for essentials because they have run out of money (Financial Inclusion Commission). The Financial Conduct Authority found high-cost credit is used by over three million consumers in the UK, some of who are the most vulnerable in society. They cite community lenders, like Scotcash, as an alternative to high-cost credit and want to see this sector maximise their potential for growth so that they have the capacity to offer an alternative to more users of high-cost credit. Scotcash is part of a wider network of 10 specialist responsible finance providers that lend to low-income households all over the UK, making small loans to people who are increasingly unable to assess other forms of affordable or legal credit.
