West Lothian Financial Inclusion Network

West Lothian Credit Union Forum is a member of the West Lothian Financial Inclusion Network along with West Lothian Council and many other public and voluntary organisations in the area.

The stated objective is "Reducing the vulnerability of low income families to financial exclusion and multiple debts - in order to prevent them from becoming over-indebted and/or to lift them out of poverty."

The Financial Inclusion Network has received funding from Scottish Executive by 2008 to increase the availability of appropriate financial services and money advice to disadvantaged communities to reduce their vulnerability to financial exclusion and multiple debts.

In addressing these issues, the Partnership has taken account of local and national research in order to identify the most vulnerable groups and communities.

The proposed package of measures has both a preventative element and an element which focuses on people, families and communities experiencing financial exclusion.

The preventative element will involve working on financial education with all young people in West Lothian's schools, and more intensive work with groups of young people at most risk of financial exclusion including care leavers and young carers.

In delivering an integrated package of financial inclusion measures to people experiencing financial exclusion, West Lothian will focus on

• communities with the highest levels of multiple deprivation (the datazones in the worst 15% in Scotland)
• groups shown by research to be most liable to financial exclusion - low income households, lone parents, local authority and housing association tenants, and older people (HM Treasury research).