Helping shape the future of Affordable Credit in Scotland
24 Sept 2026
- About SIS
- Financial Inclusion for Scotland
Affordable credit is access to fair, responsible, and reasonably priced borrowing that meets people's needs and can be repaid sustainably without causing financial hardship.
Access to fair and affordable credit can be life-changing. It helps people manage unexpected costs, avoid high-cost borrowing and build greater financial resilience. Yet many people across Scotland continue to face barriers to accessing the financial services they need. That's why we're pleased to share that Social Investment Scotland has been invited by The National Lottery Community Fund to develop proposals that could help shape the future of affordable credit provision across Scotland through Dormant Assets funding.
Building on a national commitment to Financial Inclusion
The opportunity follows the Scottish Government's revised Dormant Assets Policy Directions Framework, which identified Financial Inclusion as one of four strategic priorities. A key part of this priority is increasing access to affordable credit through strategic investment in organisations with expertise in supporting Scotland's financial inclusion sector.
As part of this work, The National Lottery Community Fund invited SIS to submit a £92,000 development funding application to undertake engagement and consultation activity that will inform a strategic plan for future investment in affordable credit across Scotland.
Listening to communities and the Sector
To ensure the process is independent, inclusive and informed by a broad range of experiences, SIS has appointed Rocket Science and The Poverty Alliance to lead a national consultation programme.
Over the course of the next few months, they will seek views from credit unions, community finance organisations, advice agencies, public sector partners, financial services organisations, third sector bodies and people with lived experience of financial exclusion.
The consultation will include surveys, stakeholder interviews, workshops, focus groups and other opportunities for people and organisations to share their experiences, ideas and evidence.
The aim is simple: to ensure that any future investment in affordable credit is shaped by those who know the challenges and opportunities best.
A shared vision for Affordable Credit
The findings from the consultation will help create a strategic plan that explores how future Dormant Assets funding could support the sustainable growth of affordable credit across Scotland.
This work will focus on identifying practical ways to strengthen financial inclusion, increase access to fair financial services and support community-based lenders to meet the needs of people and families across the country.
The development phase is also an opportunity to build a shared vision for the future, ensuring that potential funding programmes are grounded in lived experience, sector expertise and the realities of service delivery.
Why Social Investment Scotland?
The National Lottery Community Fund identified SIS as the organisation best placed to lead this work because of its governance, capability and experience within the financial inclusion landscape.
For more than 25 years, SIS has been supporting charities, social enterprises and community organisations across Scotland. It is also the lead partner of Financial Inclusion for Scotland, a national network committed to ensuring everyone can access fair, affordable and responsible financial services.
Alastair Davis, CEO of Social Investment Scotland, said:
"Social Investment Scotland and our partners in Financial Inclusion for Scotland have championed the importance of affordable credit as a cornerstone of financial wellbeing for many years. We are pleased that this collective effort has helped bring us to this point, where there is now a real opportunity to shape a national approach to affordable credit provision and reducing financial exclusion across Scotland.
"We're particularly pleased to welcome Rocket Science and The Poverty Alliance as partners in this next phase of work to ensure the consultation is robust, independent and informed by the people and organisations who understand these issues best. Their involvement will help us build a comprehensive picture of the challenges and opportunities ahead and ensure that the strategic plan reflects the needs and aspirations of communities across Scotland."
Caroline Masundire, Managing Director of Rocket Science, commented:
"Working with Social Investment Scotland and The Poverty Alliance on shaping the future of affordable credit is a great privilege. It builds on many years of work on financial inclusion and capability research and strategy, helping to understand and unlock the barriers to accessing credit and financial advice for different communities and circumstances. We are bringing insight from across the UK, including our work for housing providers, advice providers and charities through funders such as Money Advice and Pensions Service, Fusion Foundation, JP Morgan and Lloyds Bank."
Laura Robertson, Research Manager at The Poverty Alliance, said:
“We are looking forward to working with Social Investment Scotland and Rocket Science to conduct research that will provide important insights into the barriers to accessing affordable credit for people on low incomes in Scotland. We know that people living in poverty face a poverty premium and that lack of access to forms of affordable credit means that families in Scotland are left struggling financially. This consultation on shaping the future of affordable credit in Scotland will ensure that the voices of people with lived experience of financial exclusion are central to further investment and new approaches to affordable credit in Scotland.”
What happens next?
The consultation findings will be used to develop a strategic plan for affordable credit in Scotland, which will be submitted to The National Lottery Community Fund early in 2027. The plan will set out recommendations and a vision for how future Dormant Assets funding could help expand access to affordable credit and strengthen financial inclusion across Scotland.
We'll be sharing more information about the consultation, including opportunities to participate, in the coming months. We look forward to working with partners, communities and people with lived experience to help shape a more financially inclusive future for Scotland.
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