This week, the last of the schools across Scotland returned after the summer holidays. Thousands of children flooding back to rhythms and routines, with thousands more parents (including this one) letting out a sigh of relief. 

The holidays present a myriad of challenges; childcare, increased costs and the pressure of trying to juggle it all. And while some of this will ease for some households, the barriers facing families on the lowest incomes have not gone away. 

 Across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland, advisers draw alongside families experiencing real hardship. The rising cost of food, energy and rents against a backdrop of low incomes make it impossible for budgets to balance, resulting in sleepless nights, meals being missed and cold homes.

More than one in seven of the people (almost 24,000) our network supports are from........

© Herald Scotland