Tag: Minimum Income Guarantee

Minimum Income Guarantee in an independent Scotland

Enabling people to thrive and live with dignity

The latest paper in the Building a New Scotland series, Social Security in an independent Scotland, published this week, outlined how a Minimum Income Guarantee could ensure everyone can achieve a dignified standard of living.

The proposals included how a Minimum Income Guarantee could:

  • be set at a higher rate than current UK Government benefits and respond to real changes to the cost of living
  • enable all households to live with financial security
  • ensure those who are able achieve the minimum income level through fair and accessible paid work

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “With limited powers, the Scottish Government has already delivered transformative social security benefits that have made a real difference to people’s lives. Due to the policies of this government, an estimated 90,000 fewer children are expected to live in poverty this year.

“However, we want to go further and that is why we have proposed that a Minimum Income Guarantee could be introduced in an independent Scotland to ensure everyone has enough support to not only survive, but to thrive.

“The UK approach to social security has provided inadequate levels of financial support and has eroded the effectiveness of the safety net. It is only with the full economic and fiscal powers of an independent nation that we can use all the levers other governments have to tackle inequalities in Scotland.”

Social Security in an independent Scotland

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Work begins on a Minimum Income Guarantee

Scotland is taking its first steps on the road to establishing a Scottish Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG).

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison will today co-chair the first meeting of a new steering group to drive forward the ambitious new policy with the aim of reducing poverty, inequality and insecurity.

Ms Robison has also launched a consultation to gather views on how establishing a Minimum Income Guarantee – which would provide an assurance that everyone would have enough money to live a dignified, healthy and financially secure life – could be designed and delivered in Scotland.

The announcement meets another commitment for the first 100 days of this government, which was elected on 6 May.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Ms Robison said: “We are committed to progressing the delivery of a Minimum Income Guarantee, which could be revolutionary in our fight against poverty. It is a clear demonstration of our ambition and aspiration for Scotland.

“The policy is innovative, bold and radical. It reflects our clear desire to do everything with our limited powers to deliver the change needed, using every lever at our disposal.

“Eradicating child poverty and building a fairer, more equal country must be a national mission, not just for the government, but our parliament and broader society.

“We recognise this is a cross-government responsibility and we are focused on working together to push forward poverty reduction in Scotland.

“We must look at ways of maximising household incomes from work and social security, as well as reducing costs on essentials including services such as childcare.

“Introducing a Minimum Income Guarantee will not be easy and it will not happen overnight, but there is a willingness to deliver on our ambition.”

The steering group will be co-chaired by Russell Gunson, Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research in Scotland, which published a report earlier this year on how a future Minimum Income Guarantee could look.

Mr Gunson said: “A Minimum Income Guarantee could transform the lives of people across Scotland, setting an income floor in Scotland beneath which no one would fall.

“To build a fairer and stronger Scotland following Covid-19 we will need to think big ideas in Scotland and think just as big on how to implement them.

“The MIG Steering Group is a great step, bringing cross-party representatives and experts from across Scotland together to shape a Minimum Income Guarantee and make progress on delivering it.

“I’m delighted to be co-chair and look forward to working hard together to see tangible progress towards delivering a Minimum Income Guarantee for Scotland over the coming years.”

Access the consultation dialogue