Everyone in Scotland was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This publication provides a record of experiences in relation to personal finances, access to welfare, and support for business shared with Let’s Be Heard by individuals, households, and businesses living and operating in Scotland during the pandemic.
To gather these experiences, the Let’s Be Heard team travelled across Scotland and worked with a wide range of organisations over a two-year period from 2023 to 2024. Through a mix of online and in-person surveys, workshops, and group discussions, the team heard from individuals and businesses about their experiences of the pandemic, the impact of the rules and restrictions, and any lessons they felt should be learned for the future.
Let’s Be Heard has given a voice to people in Scotland who wanted to share their experiences of the pandemic. Engaging directly with Let’s Be Heard offered them an opportunity to take part in the Inquiry in a way that suited them. Taking a human rights-based approach, Let’s Be Heard created a range of bespoke, accessible and inclusive engagement methods and successfully captured the voices of more than 12,500 people across Scotland. This volume shares key themes emerging from those experiences.
Respondents described the pandemic as an unprecedented period in Scotland, associated with widespread disruption to businesses and to many people’s financial wellbeing. Respondents described a time of uncertainty, with changes to employment status, income, and access to support shaping day-to-day life. The perspectives shared through Let’s Be Heard should be understood within this broader context.
It is important to note that the themes raised in this publication represent the views of those who engaged with Let’s Be Heard. They do not represent, nor anticipate, the Inquiry’s conclusions or recommendations. In addition, people who engaged with Let’s Be Heard did so voluntarily and this volume does not claim or seek to reflect the voices of all people in Scotland.