Social Security: What’s the point?
With just over a week until the consultation deadline on the Social Security (Scotland) Bill, the Poverty Alliance has written to its members and civil society organisations across Scotland urging them to make sure their voices are heard.
The Poverty Alliance believes one of the underlying principles of the Bill should be the recognition that social security has a role to play in the eradication of poverty in Scotland. With over one million scots currently living in poverty, many of them in working households, this is an opportunity to create a social security system that works for people, not against them.
Social security is meant to be at least a safety net but for too long low benefit levels have trapped people in poverty. With new powers on the way, it is important that we are ambitious and recognise that poverty can be solved, and social security has a role to play in this.
The Poverty Alliance will be calling for the Scottish Government to add a principle to the bill recognising the role of social security in tackling poverty and would encourage other actors to do the same.
Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “Poverty in Scotland can be solved, and our new social security system has a vital role to play in achieving this.
“We are calling on the Scottish Government to consider this as an additional principle in the bill, and help everyone in our society achieve their potential.
“The social security system should help lift people out of poverty, not trap them there. This bill represents a real opportunity to make a difference; let’s make the most of it”.
The deadline for the consultation is the 23rd of August – you can take part here
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