Don’t shoot the messenger was the clear message from Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) President Councillor David O’Neill today ahead of the welfare system changes being introduced by the Westminster coalition government on 1 April. The COSLA President said that Scottish local government was bracing itself to deal with the devastating fallout which the welfare and benefit reforms would bring.
Councillor O’Neill also expressed his anger that it would be Scotland’s Councils who would be the ones left to pick up the pieces – despite them having nothing whatsoever to do with the introduction of the controversial reforms. The COSLA President added that this legislation would have a real and long term damaging effect on many of the most vulnerable in society and put even more strain on local government services that are already creaking under pressure.
Councillor O’Neill said: “It is ironic that the first batch of these welfare and benefit reforms come into force on April fools’ day, because believe me there is nothing remotely humorous about them. Make no mistake here – no blame whatsoever can be put at the door of Scotland’s Councils for either introducing these measures or for the devastating impact that this legislation is about to have on our communities. Our role in this is to manage the consequences in the way that does the least possible damage to our communities and that will be a very, very difficult task.
“COSLA as an organisation and I as President cannot stand idly by and allow local government’s reputation and the credibility of individual councils to take the hit for this because these welfare changes are not of our doing. No part of my speaking out on this issue should be seen as a suggestion that we do not embrace change or that we do not recognise the need for some change within the current system.
He went on: “I am simply pointing out to those who will be hardest hit by these changes that it is not their local council to blame. Indeed Councils are going to be hit themselves with the double whammy of the massive increase in people seeking our help at a time of diminishing resources. Sadly, what is actually being proposed in terms of welfare reform and the damage it will do is both extreme and ill thought out. The huge damage it will do to our communities is not something that COSLA can support, and nor should others.
“The UK Government is transferring cost and responsibility for the needs of people on benefit onto local government. It is impossible for Councils to subsidise the levels of cuts people will experience but we will do everything within our power to support the most vulnerable in our communities.”
Councillor O’Neill (pictured below) concluded: “We had hoped that the Coalition Government at Westminster were willing to work with us, and listen to some of these concerns. We had hoped that they would be reasonable and consider how to prevent the negative impact of these changes on councils, services and most importantly on people. That seems not to be the case.”
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