Biggest shake up to welfare system in a generation ‘to get Britain working’

UNIVERSAL CONDEMNATION OF LABOUR PLANS

Largest welfare reforms for a generation to help sick and disabled people who can and have the potential to work into jobs – backed by a £1 billion investment, unveiled by the Work & Pensions Secretary today

  • Work Capability Assessment to be scrapped and “right to try” work guarantee to be introduced in drive to tear down barriers to work
  • Changes will unlock work, boost employment, and tackle the broken benefits system to unlock growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change

Record £1 billion employment support measures have been announced ‘to help disabled and long-term sick people back into work’.

The new measures are designed to ensure a welfare system that is fit for purpose and available for future generations – opening up employment opportunities, boosting economic growth and tackling the spiralling benefits bill, while also ensuring those who cannot work get the support they need as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

This will end years of inaction, which has led to one in eight young people not currently in work, education or training and 2.8 million people economically inactive due to long term sickness – one of the highest rates in the G7. 

The number of people receiving one of the main types of health and disability benefit, Personal Independence Payments (PIP), has also risen rapidly and is becoming unsustainable. 

Since the pandemic, the number of working-age people receiving PIP has more than doubled from 15,300 to 35,100 a month. The number of young people (16-24) receiving PIP per month has also skyrocketed from 2,967 to 7,857 a month. Over the next five years, if no action is taken, the number of working age people claiming PIP is expected to increase from 2 million in 2021 to 4.3 million, costing £34.1 billion annually. 

All this has driven the spiralling health and disability benefits bill, forecast to reach £70 billion a year by the end of the decade, or more than £1 billion a week. This is equivalent to more than a third of the NHS budget, and more than three times as much as is spent on policing and keeping communities safe.

Speaking in Parliament today, Liz Kendall announced a sweeping package of reforms to overhaul the system, so it better supports those who need it while tearing down barriers to work including:

Ending reassessments for disabled people who will never be able to work and people with lifelong conditions to ensure they can live with dignity and security

Scrapping the controversial Work Capability Assessment to end the dysfunctional process that drives people into dependency – delivering on the government’s manifesto commitment to reform or replace it

Providing improved employment support backed by £1 billion – one of the biggest packages of employment support for sick and disabled people ever – including new tailored support conversations for people on health and disability benefits to break down barriers and unlock work

Legislating to protect those on health and disability benefits from reassessment or losing their payments if they take a chance on work. 

To ensure the welfare system is available for those with the greatest needs now and long into the future, the government has made bold decisions to improve its sustainability and protect those who need it most, including:

  • Reintroducing reassessments for people on incapacity benefits who have the capability to work to ensure they have the right support and aren’t indefinitely written off.
  • Targeting Personal Independence Payments for those with higher needs by changing the eligibility requirement to a minimum score of four on at least one of the daily living activities to receive the daily living element of the benefit, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria.
  • Rebalancing payment levels in Universal Credit to improve the Standard Allowance. Raising it above inflation by 2029/30, adding £775 annually in cash terms.
  • Consulting on delaying access to the health element of Universal Credit until someone is aged 22 and reinvesting savings into work support and training opportunities through the Youth Guarantee.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We inherited a fundamentally broken welfare system from the previous government. It does not work for the people it is supposed to support, businesses who need workers or taxpayers who foot the bill.

“This government will always protect the most severely disabled people to live with dignity. But we’re not prepared to stand back and do nothing while millions of people – especially young people – who have potential to work and live independent lives, instead become trapped out of work and abandoned by the system. It would be morally bankrupt to let their life chances waste away. 

“When I talk about opportunity for all, I mean it. That’s why we are bringing forward the biggest changes to the welfare system in a generation and improving support for those who need it. Ensuring those who can work do work is not only right, but it will also improve living standards and drive growth, the number one priority in our Plan for Change.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Our social security system must be there for all of us when we need it, now and into the future. That means helping people who can work to do so, protecting those most in need, and delivering respect and dignity for all. 

“Millions of people have been locked out of work, and we can do better for them. Disabled people and those with health conditions who can work deserve the same choices and chances as everyone else.

“That’s why we’re introducing the most far-reaching reforms in a generation, with £1 billion a year being invested in tailored support that can be adapted to meet their changing circumstances – including their changing health – while also scrapping the failed Work Capability Assessment.

“This will mean fairness for disabled people and those with long term health conditions, but also for the taxpayers who fund it as these measures bring down the benefits bill. 

“At the same time, we will ensure that our welfare system protects people. There will always be some people who cannot work because of their disability or health condition. Protecting people in need is a principle we will never compromise on.”

In her statement to Parliament, the Work and Pensions Secretary outlined the clear case for change to the welfare system and set out her commitment to ensuring that disabled people and those with a health condition have the same opportunities to work as anyone else.

In particular, she highlighted that the UK has one of the highest reported rates of working-age people out of work due to ill health in Western Europe and the UK is the only major economy whose employment rate hasn’t recovered since the pandemic – exacerbated by a broken NHS with millions of people on waiting lists. 

The government has already made huge progress to fix the NHS, including by hitting the manifesto commitment to deliver over two million extra elective care appointments seven months early, and bringing forward a wider programme for NHS reform through the rollout of community diagnostic centres and 10-year plan. The Health Secretary has also sent crack teams spearheaded by top clinicians into areas of high economic inactivity, and the latest data shows waiting lists in these areas have reduced at almost double the rate of the rest of the country. 

The reformed system will be built on a straightforward guarantee: any disabled person or person with a long-term health condition who is claiming out of work benefits will be able to access high quality, tailored help into a job. It will also mean that those who cannot work will always get the support they need. In Scotland and Wales, we will work closely with the devolved governments as we develop this package of support.

The reforms are based on five key principles:

Protecting disabled people who can’t and won’t ever be able to work and supporting them to live with dignity by:

  • Income Protection: Those currently in receipt of UC health will benefit from the increased standard allowance and will not be affected by plans to reduce UC health in future. 
  • Extra Financial Support: For people who receive the new rate of UC health in the future system, we are proposing a new premium for individuals with severe, life-long health conditions who will never be able to work. The details, eligibility criteria and rate of this premium will be set out in due course.
  • Ending Reassessments: Reassessments for disabled people and people with life-long conditions who will never be able to work will be scrapped.
  • Improving Safeguarding Practices: The government will look at how safeguarding practices for the most vulnerable can be improved and improve experiences with the system, working with stakeholders to identify areas for improvement. 

Delivering better and more tailored employment support to get more people off welfare and into work. This includes: 

  • £1 Billion employment package to deliver tailored support for disabled people and those with long-term conditions.
  • New Support Conversations to provide earlier opportunities for people with health conditions to discuss work goals and available help.
  • Investing in the Youth Guarantee by delaying access to UC health element until age 22 and reinvesting savings into work support and training for young people.

Stopping people from falling into long-term economic inactivity through early intervention and support by:

  • Access to Work Scheme: We will consult on improvements to help people start and stay in work with reasonable adjustments including aids, appliances and assistive technology. These would be the first substantive changes to Access to Work since its introduction in 1994
  • Unemployment Insurance: We will reform contributory benefits (ESA and JSA) into a single, non-means tested, time-limited benefit for those who have paid into the system to ensure people get the support they need to find a new job that makes the most of their skills, contributing to a dynamic and productive economy.

Restoring trust and fairness in the system by fixing the broken assessment process that drives people into dependency on welfare by:

  • Scrapping the WCA to end the labelling of people as either ‘can or can’t work’ and consulting on a new single assessment. Under the new system, any extra financial support for health conditions (including PIP, ESA or UC health) will be assessed via a new single assessment which will be based on the PIP assessment – considering on the impact of disability on daily living, not on capacity to work.
  • Increasing Face-to-Face Assessments for PIP and the WCA to improve the quality of assessment decision while ensuring we continue to meet the needs of those with who may require a different method of assessment.
  • Longer term reform of the PIP Assessment – In the long term we will set out broader reforms to the PIP assessment, and intend first to carry out a review involving experts and stakeholders to adapt and improve it.
  • Right to Try Guarantee: which will ensure someone trying work or on a pathway towards employment will never lead to an immediate reassessment or award review.
  • Restarting Mandatory Reassessments: We will reintroduce reassessments for incapacity benefits, with exceptions for those who will never work and those under special rules for end-of-life care. Reassessments have largely been switched off since 2021, leaving people stuck on benefits when they could be helped into work and to improve their quality of life.

Ensuring the system is financially sustainable to keep providing for those who need it most by:

  • Changing PIP Eligibility:  PIP will be targeted more on those with higher needs by requiring a minimum of four points on one daily living activity, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria.. DWP will work with DHSC to ensure that existing people who claim PIP who may no longer be entitled to the benefit following an award review under new eligibility rules have their health and eligible care needs met. The government is consulting on how best to achieve this.
  • Rebalancing Universal Credit: by improving the Standard Allowance to provide more adequate support. The government plans to raise the Standard Allowance above inflation by 2029/30, adding £775 in cash terms annually. This aims to avoid people having to choose between employment or adequate financial support. This change addresses the current issue where the health element rate is double that of the standard allowance, creating an incentive for people to prove they are unfit to work to claim the health element and access greater financial support.

Helen Barnard, director of policy at Trussell, said: “We’re deeply concerned by the cuts announced to disability payments today.

People at food banks have told us they are terrified of how they might survive. We welcome the positive proposals from the Department for Work and Pensions to boost the basic rate to Universal Credit and invest in employment support. However, we fear these steps will be undermined by a Treasury drive to make short-term savings.

“Huge cuts risk pushing more disabled people to the doors of food banks, and will have devastating consequences for us all. The UK government was elected on manifesto pledges to end the need for emergency food parcels. This isn’t what people voted for. 

“Disabled people are already three times more likely to face hunger, and three quarters of people at food banks are disabled or live with someone who is. Our social security system should be rooted in justice and compassion, able to be there for us all, especially when we need it most. 

“This isn’t a done deal. With at least a year before any cuts come into force, there’s still time for the Prime Minister and Chancellor to rethink and make good on today’s promise to restore trust and fairness in the social security system.”

The TUC said: ’11 General Secretaries of our trade union affiliates have written to the government to raise “profound concerns” about today’s welfare cuts targeted at disabled people. The labour movement must stand together with campaigners, charities & carers to resist”

#disabilitybenefit

Responding to today’s statement by Liz Kendall MP, Poverty Alliance policy & campaigns manager Ruth Boyle said: “People in the UK are desperate for a government that delivers a just and compassionate country.

“They want to see an end to deepening poverty, debt, destitution, and hunger in their communities. Many will be distressed, disappointed, scared, and angry at today’s announcements.

“The plans to cut the health element of Universal Credit are wrong and unjust. Cutting vital financial support to disabled people won’t help them into paid work – but it is likely to move them towards poverty.

“Equally unjust is the idea of making it virtually impossible for under-23s to get Universal Credit health support. The Government is punishing young people who aren’t fit for work simply because of their age.

“These changes are driven by a desire for financial cost savings, rather than helping people access the support they need. Positive proposals like personalised support to help people into work and a Right-to-Try will be undermined by cuts which force people into further and deeper poverty.

“Personal Independence Payments are a vital part of the social security system, and even though we have a replacement Adult Disability Payment in Scotland, there are still many people here who are on PIP.

“These social security benefits support people’s basic freedom – whether they are in work or not. They help cover some of the extra living costs that are forced on disabled people. The Government now plans to make it harder for them to get that vital support, denying them a full place in society, and undoubtedly pushing many towards debt and destitution.

“We urge the Scottish Government to maintain its commitment to justice and compassion, and to make sure the Adult Disability Payment still supports the freedom and rights of disabled people.

“It is shameful to try to balance the books on the backs of disabled people and households that are already struggling to keep their heads above water. Instead, the Government should do the responsible thing and use their tax powers to unlock our country’s wealth for investment in a strong social foundation.

“And they can scrap their self-imposed fiscal rules with a plan to help everyone build a better life for their households, and a better future for our country.”

Commenting on the Green Paper’s plans for social security reform announced by the government today (Tuesday), TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “During 14 years of Tory failure, too many people were written off. Millions of workers have been left without proper support to move into work or progress in good jobs, and too many people with disabilities or ill health have not had access to the support they need. 

“But change must be done in the right way. While we welcome the decision not to freeze PIP, this package will still lead to significant cuts in entitlements for some disabled people. 

“As well as ensuring that those with the most severe disabilities are protected, we urge ministers to reconsider the scale of proposed cuts in disabled people’s incomes. 

“Disabled people who are unable to work must not be pushed further into hardship.”

Commenting on the Green Paper’s wider proposals, Paul added: “Action to boost access to quality employment programmes and ensure that Jobcentre work coaches can provide quality and meaningful support is welcome. As too are proposals to strengthen contributory benefits. 

“This needs to be accompanied by ongoing investment in the NHS, including mental health services. Better healthcare can transform lives. 

“The government’s plan to Make Work Pay is also crucial to driving up the quality of jobs in Britain and ensuring more people have access to decent work.”

Transport union, RMT has criticised Labour’s decision to cut welfare spending by up to £5bn by 2030.

Eddie Dempsey RMT general secretary said: “Welfare cuts target people who rely on support to survive, including disabled people, carers, the unemployed, and those in insecure work.

“For the past 40 years our economy has been marked by low investment, wage suppression and super-high profits.

“Our economy needs to be fundamentally restructured so we can invest in housing, infrastructure and services to create well paid jobs and provide an adequate safety net for those who fall on hard times.

“There is an enormous amount of wealth in this country and the Labour government should be using the economic levers at their disposal to capture it from the rich.

“Billions could be recouped by the treasury through levies on wealth, the closure of tax loopholes, and extracting excess corporate profits.

“RMT stands with all in our working-class communities, including the disabled and unemployed.”

OXFAM Scotland tweeted: ‘Just a reminder there’s no shortage of money in the UK, just a shortage of political will to go out & tax it.

‘While more people risk being locked into hardship/deeper poverty, the ballooning bank balances of the UK’s richest millionaires/billionaires get off virtually scot-free’

The Disability Policy Centre’s Interim Director of Research, Arun Veerappan, response to the Government’s release of the Green Paper this afternoon.

Green MSP slams Labour betrayal of disabled people and calls on MPs to fight back 

Scottish Green’s co-leader and MSP for Lothian region Lorna Slater is calling on Labour MPs to fight back on the inhumane cuts that the UK government are proposing to hit their fiscal targets. 

In the Westminster government’s latest controversial move, it has announced a package of changes expected to affect some of the UK’s most severely disabled people. The measures will deny benefits for thousands of people across the country. 

Lorna Slater MSP for Lothian region said:  “These cuts will make a cruel and dehumanising system even more brutal than it already is. They will spread pain and misery across every community.

“ This decision is immoral. You can’t cut £5 billion of support without causing real harm to disabled people.  

“ None of this is inevitable. Labour could choose to bring in a wealth tax that collects a fair and justified share from the richest people to invest in the services we all rely on.

“Labour are doubling down on the Tory idea that you can work your way out of disability. They are sending a cruel and dangerous message that only people who can boost our economy are worth supporting. They promised an end to austerity, but this goes even further than anything that the Tories ever dared.” 

“The fact that they are choosing to punish the people with the least tells us everything we need to know about Labour’s values. The millions of people who waited 14 long years to get rid of the Tories deserve so much better than this.” 

Cuts to benefits announced today have clearly been motivated by a desire to make short-term savings to meet arbitrary fiscal rules, says New Economics Foundation’s Head of Social Polict Tom Pollard.

‘They’re not going to help ill and disabled people, they’re only going to create more problems.’

Former Labour Party leader and now Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn said: “This is a seminal moment: a Labour government cutting disability benefits. Not just continuing Tory levels. Cutting.

“This comes after a week of speculation, itself an act of cruelty by a government toying with people’s dignity. These cuts are disgraceful – and will cost lives.”

Scope charity commented: “These plans will be catastrophic for disabled people’s living standards. Nearly half of families living in poverty already include someone who is disabled. Now the government is choosing to penalise some of the poorest people in our society.

“We welcome the investment in tailored, non-compulsory employment support. But ripping £5 billion out of the benefits system by 2030 will completely undermine this positive step.

“Countless disabled people, charities, MPs, and experts are urging the government to think again. And we’re not backing down. The consultation is likely to receive an overwhelming response. We urge the government to listen to disabled people and think again.

“Over the coming days, we’ll analyse all the details in the government’s plans. We’ll then share more information about what these changes mean and who could be affected as soon as we can. We’ll also share ways you can have your say in the consultation.

‘This is an especially worrying time for many disabled people. If you’re concerned about these changes, you can contact our helpline for advice and support.

Call us free on 0808 800 3333, or visit our website for more ways to get in touch:

https://scope.org.uk/helpline

‘If you need to talk to someone about how you’re feeling, day or night, Samaritans are here to help. Call 116 123 for free, or visit their website https://samaritans.org

Money and Mental Health response to government welfare green paper

Today the government has published its welfare green paper, which outlines its proposals to reform the welfare system.

In particular, the green paper sets out plans to make it harder for people to qualify for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) — a benefit which people with disabilities and long-term ill-health can claim to help cover the extra costs associated with their disability, and which is not connected to work. In addition, people aged under 22 will not be able to qualify for the health top-up element of Universal Credit.

The government has also announced £1bn additional funding for personalised employment support to help people with disabilities move into work, and that people receiving benefits will be given a “right to try” work without losing their benefits entitlement.

Commenting on the proposals, Helen Undy, Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: “PIP is an absolute lifeline for thousands of people with mental health problems.

“It can be the difference between being able to afford basic things like a phone to call your crisis team or help to clean your home, or living in disarray and increasing isolation. Making it harder to access will jeopardise people’s financial security and cause serious distress, which won’t set up people to go back into work and to thrive. 

“These changes will mean that needing help to wash or get dressed because of your mental health wouldn’t be enough to qualify for PIP. The government says it will ensure people with ‘genuine need’ aren’t affected, but we’re really concerned that these new reforms will take us further back to the days when people with mental health problems were treated as less worthy of help than those with physical health issues.

“The new ‘right to try’ a job without losing the benefits is welcome, as is the funding for personalised employment support for people with disabilities or health conditions. But introducing these measures alongside cuts to PIP and stopping young people from getting incapacity benefits will do more harm than good.

“It is a short sighted approach that will have a devastating impact on many people’s finances and mental health, and we urge the government to rethink these plans.”

Mikey Erhardt, Policy Officer at Disability Rights UK, said: “The minister stood up today and made clear that, after months of rumours, media speculation and spin, these reforms are not about supporting Disabled people into work, but making brutal and reckless cuts of £5 billion. That is up from £3 billion just a few weeks ago.

“The rise in claims is driven by the increase in the retirement age, record NHS waiting lists, inadequate education and mental health support for young Disabled people and a complete failure to tackle the disability employment and pay gaps. Yet  the government has decided to create a rhetorical smokescreen around the depth of cuts it’s going to make.

“The government intends to bar young Disabled people from receiving the Universal Credit health component until they are 22. That is alongside their promise to significantly increase assessments at scale without making the assessment process safer for those going through the system right now.

These measures mark dangerous cuts for all Disabled people. Furthermore, altering the PIP award criteria will make it harder for those who need support to qualify.

“The minister’s assertion that 1000s more face-to-face assessments will be more accurate is laughable; we know that in-person assessment causes more stress and worry and often leads to inaccurate findings from assessors.

“Let’s be clear: there is nothing ambitious about cutting support from those who need it and that’s what today’s announcements were really about. Rising claims for personal independence payment reflect not a problem with Disabled people but rather reflect successive government’s failure to do even the bare minimum to create a more equitable society.”

Mental Health Foundation responded:

Responding to the Government’s proposed changes to welfare and work announced today, Carers Trust’s CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said: “In the midst of today’s announcements on welfare reform, we cannot lose sight of the nation’s carers. Two-thirds of carers have been forced to give up work or cut back on hours because of their caring role.

“Many would like to work if they were able to access flexible jobs and the right employment support – sadly this is rarely on offer. But for many carers, work isn’t an option – either because of the toll of their caring role or their own ill health.

“Proposals to tighten eligibility criteria for benefits will strike fear into the heart of many carers. Around half a million carers look after someone receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP), and nearly 150,000 people rely on both PIP and Carer’s Allowance.

Disabled people and their carers are already among the most vulnerable in our society and more likely to live in poverty. Reducing their access to a financial safety net could push them over the edge.

“Carers already prop up our ailing health and social care system and we cannot introduce welfare changes that leave carers again picking up the pieces. We therefore welcome the commitment in the Green Paper to consider the impact of these changes on carers.”

Scottish Budget: Edinburgh urged to bid for free school meals extension 

 Local Scottish Green MSP Lorna Slater is calling on Edinburgh to bid to be one of the first councils to sign up for the expansion of free school meals for thousands more S1 – S3 pupils.  

The Scottish Greens have recently secured money for the expansion of free school meals to thousands of S1-S3 pupils who receive the Scottish Child Payment (SCP), starting with eight council areas in August 2025.

This builds on the ongoing rollout to P6 and P7 pupils who receive SCP and the previous extension to all P4 and P5 pupils, both of which were secured by Green MSPs during past rounds of budget negotiations. 

Edinburgh currently has a child poverty rate of 20.4% and around 4,500 of S1-S3 pupils who receive the Scottish Child Payment, a support payment for families on low incomes. 

By signing up to be one of the first councils to receive more free meals for pupils, thousands of local children and families will benefit. 

Eight councils will be chosen for the initial rollout and the Scottish Greens will be pushing the Scottish Government to extend the project to all 32 council areas as soon as possible. 

Lorna Slater the Scottish Greens MSP for Lothian said: “Children can’t learn if they’re hungry. Problems like classroom hunger simply should not exist in a country as wealthy as Scotland. 

“As a result of this work by Green MSPs, thousands more pupils in S1-S3 will now get a free school meal. I hope Edinburgh will volunteer to be one of the first areas to provide these lunches. 

“The Scottish Greens have always championed free school meals. This high school expansion builds on the work we’ve already done to provide more meals in primary schools.  

“No pupils should have to learn on an empty stomach simply because they cannot afford a school lunch. Each and every child in Scotland should have what they need to do well at school, including a free and healthy lunch.” 

Local Scottish Green MSP urges government to protect renters in Edinburgh

Lorna Slater, the Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has urged the Scottish Government to support tenants by maintaining protections that are set to expire next month.  

In 2022 the then Green Minister, Patrick Harvie, introduced a temporary cap on most in-tenancy rent increases. Since the end of the cap in March 2024, there has been a temporary rent adjudication system in place, also introduced by Mr Harvie, that has kept rents down for some tenants.  

At the time, the Scottish Government said that the system was to support the transition away from the rent cap to a system of permanent rent controls and to protect tenants from excessively large rent hikes.  

The Scottish Government has said that these temporary restrictions will not be renewed at the end of next month.  

The cost of renting a two bedroom home in Edinburgh is now £1358 which is an increase of 104% since 2010. [1]  

Lorna Slater MSP said: “Rents across Edinburgh have skyrocketed. Renters have paid the price, while private landlords have lined their pockets. And whilst there is legislation on the way to introduce permanent rent controls at last, these won’t come into force until 2027.  

“Right now, renters are protected by temporary controls that were introduced by the Scottish Greens. But these protections are set to expire in a matter of weeks, exposing households across the city to extortionate rent increases.   

“Removing these protections without replacing them would create a cliff edge that risks throwing households and familiesinto financial despair.  

“If the Scottish Government is serious about supporting renters then the least they can do is extend these modest measures to help support renters through the ongoing cost of living crisis.” 

Green MSP calls for drug consumption rooms in nation’s Capital

Scotland’s first legal drug consumption room in Glasgow is a “crucial milestone” and a “big step forward” in tackling drug misuse in Scotland, but it’s only the beginning, says Green MSP for Lothian LORNA SLATER.

At the new Thistle unit, those with medical training operate the facility and can intervene should something go wrong for a user, as well as providing support and advice for people who are giving up drugs.

There are health rooms where treatments are available too, for testing for diseases or having wounds checked and cleaned. The facility also has a recovery area, a shower room and a clothing and book bank.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1879448436292145312

Ms Slater said: “Stigmatising and shunning drug users is wrong, and it does not work. It has contributed to Scotland having the highest number of drug deaths in Europe. Instead, we should be supporting people through addiction and treating them as the human beings they are.

“Safe consumption rooms alone will not solve all the issues associated with drug addiction and misuse. To start to truly tackle the crisis we also need to address poverty and inequality and invest in rehab services, mental health provision and safe housing.

“I urge all related bodies to learn from Glasgow’s experiences and look to implement a service in Edinburgh that remains non-judgemental, supportive, and focused on harm reduction. We need this and other measures quickly.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1877732427973406728

The City of Edinburgh Council has previously published a report that looks at opening a drug consumption room in the city after months of delay. The latest feasibility study can be found here: 

https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-024-01144-1press@scottishgreens.org.uk

Public health levy needed to stop alcohol deaths, says Scottish Greens

A public health levy on alcohol and tobacco retailers is a crucial step to supporting frontline recovery services, says Scottish Green MSP Lorna Slater.  

Ms Slater’s comments come as new Scottish Government stats show that 1,277 people in Scotland died in 2023 from alcohol misuse, with 163 of those deaths in the City of Edinburgh. 

In the Scottish Parliament Lorna Slater pushed Scottish Government Minister Jenni Minto to reconsider the reintroduction of this levy as a surcharge on the non-domestic rates for large retailers selling alcohol and tobacco.  

Currently retailers keep the additional revenue raised from minimum unit pricing. A recent report by the Fraser of Allander Institute for Alcohol Focus Scotland showed that a levy on retailers with a licence to sell alcohol and tobacco, set at 13p per pound, could raise £57 million a year for support services.  

The majority of the funds raised would come from big national supermarket chains, who they say would make up 86% of all revenues.    

The Scottish Government has committed to exploring the potential for the introduction of a levy as a result of budget negotiations with the Scottish Greens.  

Ms Slater said: “Every one of these lost lives is a tragedy, and there will be people missing them and mourning them. We clearly need to change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol.  

“We urgently need to tackle the root causes of alcohol misuse and ensure that we are funding recovery services to support people and communities that need it.  

“Minimum unit pricing has been an important step forward, but the money made from it is staying with the supermarkets rather than being used to support people and families who are on the frontline of the crisis.  

“If retailers are profiting from the sale of products that are damaging public health, like alcohol and tobacco, then they should also pay towards mitigating the health and social costs that they cause.  

“This is something that I hope MSPs from all parties can agree on and work together to deliver. With a budget due later this year, I hope that the Scottish Government will apply a public health levy to ensure that we are supporting frontline recovery services.” 

Local Scottish Green MSP hails “life-changing” impact of Free Bus Travel for young people in Edinburgh

Lorna Slater, the local Scottish Green MSP for Lothian Region has hailed the transformative impact of free bus travel for everyone under 22 in Edinburgh.

New figures, published by the Scottish Government, show that over 85,314 young people in the capital city are already benefiting from the scheme, allowing them to travel anywhere in Scotland.

This groundbreaking initiative was secured through negotiations between the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Government. Scotland is the only country in the UK that offers free bus travel for all young people under 22.

Over 137 million free bus journeys have been taken across the country, allowing young people to travel for work or education, or simply to visit friends and family.

Ms Slater said: “The free bus travel scheme for under 22s has been transformative, and in some cases life-changing, for young people in Edinburgh.

“Allowing young people to access school, work or leisure for free is helping to support them and their families through a Tory cost-of-living crisis which has hit everyone in Scotland.

“The scheme has opened up huge opportunities for young people across our communities, creating exciting new chapters and helping them to explore the country and develop crucial skills for the future.

“Transport is Scotland’s largest source of carbon emissions. Encouraging people to use public transport rather than take the car is a huge boost for our environment and will reduce the number of cars on our roads.

“Over 85,000 young people in Edinburgh have already signed-up for their free pass, and I urge all those who have not yet registered to do so today at Freebus.scot.”

Concerns over Deposit Return Scheme delays

Devolved governments and businesses facing further uncertainty

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater has written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to express her frustration at a further significant delay to the Deposit Return Scheme launch, despite repeated requests for DEFRA to set out its plans.

The full text of the Circular Economy Minister’s letter: 

To: Stephen Barclay Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
From: 
Lorna Slater Circular Economy Minister

Dear Stephen

I am writing to you to express my deep concerns at your comments about the future of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Tuesday 26 March.

Despite our continued requests for Defra to set out its plans for DRS, and my recent correspondence dated 8 March on such matters, it is extremely frustrating to hear about details of a further significant delay to the DRS launch from media reports.

Your Government committed to develop and consult on a DRS in England for metal, plastic and glass drinks containers in 2018, a commitment also set out in your 2019 manifesto. We are now five years on from that commitment, which has been significantly weakened following your Government’s decision to remove glass from the scheme in 2023. It is clear now that it will be further delayed.

As you know, Scotland would now have an operational DRS if the UK Government had not prevented it from moving forward as planned. This would have provided a launchpad for wider DRS across the UK meaning we would all be experiencing the environmental and economic benefits much sooner.

Instead, the UK Government’s refusal to provide that IMA exclusion created enormous uncertainty for businesses on what a scheme across the UK would look like and on how it would be delivered, and severely undermined confidence. Even though the main premise for undermining Scotland’s scheme was the need for a UK-wide approach, almost one year on, there is no further clarity on the details of your Regulations. We, the other devolved governments, and businesses now find ourselves facing even greater uncertainty as a result of these latest comments.

It is also now clear from your comments that the UK Government won’t hesitate to continue to use the IMA to undermine, override and re-write devolved legislation, disregarding four-nation agreements and good-faith engagement in Common Frameworks to so do.

Despite the continued shifting of goal posts and delays by the UK Government, which we have set out in an annex to this letter, officials across the four nations have been working closely since May last year to design and agree interoperable schemes.

Minister Moore’s letter to devolved Ministers on 1 March particularly emphasised the valuable input from Scottish officials, and that the preparations we had already put in place to deliver DRS in Scotland has helped inform the four nations approach, including the amendments to our regulations in May and September last year, based on significant feedback from business.

We have said from day one that we we’re committed to all schemes across the UK to work together. We designed our scheme in good faith so it would be interoperable with the proposals agreed and consulted upon by all UK nations. I would ask that you focus on working with all devolved nations to finalise an interoperable DRS, which still recognises the devolved nature of this policy, to provide businesses with the certainty they need to make the scheme a success. This includes setting out a realistic timescale for delivery which is agreed across the four nations, rather than creating speculation without consultation.

I am copying this letter to Robbie Moore MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Huw Irranca-Davies AS/MS Minister for Climate Change and Andrew Muir MLA, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. I have also copied to the Secretary of State for Scotland, Secretary of State for Wales, and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Permanent Secretary for Defra and the Defra Director for Resources & Waste for their information.

Kind regards

LORNA SLATER

https://www.gov.scot/publications/deposit-return-scheme-letter-uk-government/ 

Lorna Slater welcomes cheaper, greener rail fares 

Lorna Slater MSP, the local Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has hailed the cheaper greener rail fares pilot that will see peak rail fares scrapped across Scotland from 2nd October.

The pilot, which will last for at least six months, will provide huge financial relief to people commuting to and from Edinburgh at peak hours, and will protect the planet by encouraging more people to take the train rather than drive.

Route                                     Current peak fare                 New peak fare

Edinburgh to Glasgow                     £28.90                                    £14.90

Edinburgh to Dundee                      £41.40                                    £32.20

Edinburgh to North Berwick           £4.90                                      £3.80

Lorna Slater, the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, said: “I’m delighted that with Scottish Greens in government we are introducing this trial, ending the two-tier pricing system and helping thousands of people across Lothian to cut costs while leaving the car at home.

“Every pound saved on a commute is money that can instead go towards heating, eating, and other expenses this winter.

“It’s a game-changing opportunity to transform habits, cut congestion, save money, and make our communities safer, cleaner and greener places to live and work.

“We’ve already seen how free bus travel for everyone under 22 has boosted bus use since we launched it last year, with tens of thousands of journeys being taken across Scotland every day.

“By helping people come back to public transport, and making our streets safer to walk, wheel and cycle, we are beginning to see the kind of positive, transformational change that Scottish Greens joined the government to deliver. Change that will help people, communities like the Lothians, and our planet.”

Slater announces new strategy to tackle litter scourge

Tougher sanctions for flytipping

Fines for flytipping will be more than doubled as part of a range of new measures to prevent litter and flytipping and support Scotland’s circular economy.

A new six-year National Litter and Flytipping Strategy sets out how national and local government, business, third sector, communities and individuals can work together to drive behaviour change, improve infrastructure and strengthen enforcement.

Also published is an action plan detailing specific actions and interventions to be progressed by the Scottish Government and its partners and agencies in the first year.

Key measures include:

  • Fines for flytipping to be more than doubled to £500
  • Introduction of new powers to impose a fine on the registered keeper of a vehicle from which a littering offence is committed
  • A new national online litter hub to provide information, advice and support to community groups and other relevant local organisations on tackling litter and littering behaviour
  • Dedicated support for private landowners, including funding for trials, to help deter and deal with flytipping affecting their land
  • Increased action to detect and disrupt flytippers, especially unregistered waste carriers advertising online, such as proactive engagement with online platforms and dedicated SEPA activity to tackle rogue operators

Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, Lorna Slater, said: “Scotland is a beautiful country and we all have a responsibility to keep it that way. This Government makes no apologies for taking bold action on tackling litter and flytipping, which is a blight on our streets, communities and countryside, as well as threatening our natural environment and wildlife.

“This strategy will drive further change in behaviours and the delivery of services. Enforcement is a key theme, and the strategy sets out robust commitments, including raising fixed penalty notices for flytipping to £500 and considering increasing fines further if required.

“It is part of a wider package of measures to tackle Scotland’s throwaway culture, including becoming the first nation in the UK to ban some of the most problematic single-use plastics, a commitment to introduce a charge on single-use cups, the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme, and reform of extended producer responsibility for packaging.”

The Strategy has been developed in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Scottish Environment Protection Agency following engagement with other key partners and stakeholders, including local authorities and landowners, and has been informed by responses to consultations.

National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and 2023-24 Action Plan.

Circular Economy Bill published

New powers will reduce waste and grow green economy

New legislation will create the tools to tackle waste and increase reuse and recycling rates.

The Circular Economy Bill will give Ministers powers to:

  • Set local recycling targets, building on the experience of Wales, which has the best recycling rate in the UK
  • Set statutory targets for delivery of a circular economy to measure progress in reducing waste and the nation’s carbon footprint
  • Ban the disposal of unsold consumer goods, to prevent good products ending up in landfill
  • Place charges on single-use items like coffee cups to encourage the move to reusable alternatives

Local authorities will be given additional enforcement powers, allowing them to crack down on flytipping and littering from cars.

The Scottish Government will also work with local authorities to co-design an updated national Code of Practice for household waste recycling, to improve consistency of services and increase the quality and quantity of recycling collected.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “I want everyone in the country to experience a modern, easy to use waste service that makes it easy for people to do the right thing for the planet.

“The Circular Economy Bill with give local Councils and the Scottish Government the powers they need to transform our economy and tackle throwaway culture.

“Of course, the best way of tackling waste is to not create it in the first place. There are huge economic opportunities in the circular economy and we have already seen businesses in Scotland creating jobs by turning what we might otherwise throw away into valuable new products and services.

“This legislation will support the growth of more green businesses and community organisations while cutting waste and climate emissions.”

Campaigners say that the new circular economy bill, which has been introduced to the Scottish Parliament yesterday could significantly reduce Scotland’s global climate impact by changing the way we use materials, but must be strengthened to do so.

A circular economy is when materials are reused and recycled as much as possible before new resources are taken from nature, as opposed to our current linear ‘take, make, dispose’ model. It is a vital step in creating the transformation needed to reduce Scotland’s impact on the climate.

Scotland consumed 72 million tonnes of material in 2018, which is 19 tonnes of material per person on average. Experts have stated that it is possible to live sustainable, high-quality lives on a material footprint of eight tonnes of materials per person per year.

84% of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the products and services we buy. If the law is passed, ministers will be able to introduce targets to reduce our overall consumption, and the impact of the goods we do need to use.

The environmental and social damage caused overseas by demand for goods in Scotland is not addressed in Scotland’s existing climate targets, which focus on reducing domestic emissions.

This means that around half of Scotland’s emissions, and wider environmental impacts of our consumption, are effectively “offshored” to other countries. This would change if consumption targets were brought in under the new circular economy law.

This measure has significant public support, with 86% of respondents to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the circular economy bill calling for the introduction of consumption targets.

The circular economy law will also:
– Establish a circular economy strategy
– Ban the disposal of unsold consumer goods
– Bring in new fines for households failing to recycle
– Place charges on single-use items

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “This new law has the potential to make a big difference to Scotland’s impact on the planet.

“The climate crisis is a global problem, so we need to take responsibility for the impact which happens outside of our borders due to our consumption of materials. It’s encouraging that the draft bill allows for consumption reduction targets to be set, and we urge the Scottish Parliament to go further and ensure that strong targets are brought in on the face of the bill.

“Moving to a circular economy is about much more than just improving our recycling. Strong consumption targets would mean policies to encourage producers to make products last for longer, ensure they are easy to repair, choose lower carbon materials, and to shift consumption patterns away from carbon intensive goods and services goods and services. With the right policies, circular economy measures will also create thousands of decent green jobs in Scotland.

“The Scottish Parliament must be bold and decisive to create the change the threat of climate breakdown demands. We need to see MSPs from all parties working together to ensure the Circular Economy Bill is a strong as possible.

“We can reduce our climate emissions and tackle the global ecological crisis by extracting fewer resources; shifting to a circular economy by properly valuing materials, and reusing and recycling is central to this.”

On the introduction of a new fixed penalty regime for households, Ms Pratt continued: “Measures to make products more sustainable and improved recycling systems available to everyone in Scotland must be prioritised over penalties for households.

“Responsibility lies first with producers to reduce the impact of the products on our shelves and make it possible for people to do the right thing.”

Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill