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Raising the issue of smoking in money advice settings

The role of stopping smoking in money advice - putting health and economic benefits together

Free financial support can be accessed within communities for advice on issues such as welfare benefits, debt, redundancy and unemployment and housing for anyone experiencing poverty or financial hardship.  Many individuals accessing money and debt advice services will be low income earners or from vulnerable groups experiencing poor mental health, unemployment, low income or those experiencing health and economic inequalities.  A high proportion of these may also be a smoker. 

The expertise within these settings therefore provides an opportunity for:

  • raising awareness about the financial impact of smoking and the savings that can be made by stop smoking
  • widening engagement with local stop smoking services for those interested in stopping smoking.

By utilising local services, such partnerships can support an individual's desire to quit smoking to not only improve their health but to reduce debts, or increase their financial resilience. Recent estimates of poverty in the UK adjusted for expenditure on tobacco show that 32,000 households could be lifted out of poverty by removing tobacco expenditure.

Pilot evaluation: key findings and recommendations

For the last two years NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and ASH Scotland have worked together on a pilot to evaluate the potential role that money advice services can play in raising the issue of smoking.

The pilot centred on providing tailored training on tobacco and smoking issues to money advice staff across five Health and Social Care Partnership areas in East Renfrewshire, South Glasgow, Glasgow East, North West Glasgow and Renfrewshire.  Following the training evaluation we returned to interview staff, managers and clients to identify their perceptions of the change, the impact achieved and any barriers they encountered.

Chaired by Sheila Duffy ASH Scotland's Chief Executive, the Evaluation report The role of stopping smoking in money advice - putting health and economic benefits together report including the key findings and recommendations was launched 9th March 2016 in Glasgow.

Launch presentations

  • Providing a Glasgow wide perspective on inequalities, financial inclusion and relevance of this pilot - Fiona Moss Head of Health Improvement Glasgow City CHP and Chair of the Financial Inclusion Group
  • Setting the scene for tobacco and inequalities - a national perspective - Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive, ASH Scotland
  • The role of stopping smoking in money advice - putting health and economic benefits together: evaluation, key findings and recommendations - Donald Lockhart, Development Officer, ASH Scotland
  • Improving outcomes for money advice services - Karen Carrick, Project Manager, Improvement Service (Money Advice Outcomes Project)

Download the full report The role of stopping smoking in money advice - putting health and economic benefits together report and Executive Summary

Alternatively, you can download sections of the report most relevant

For more information:

Reducing health inequalities Raising the issue of smoking in money advice settings Cashtray - Credit Union pilot