Holyrood’s Social Security Committee has raised deep concerns with Universal Credit in its latest report into in-work poverty. The report warns that people due to move from Tax Credits to Universal Credit face significant issues and a dramatic culture change. Continue reading Holyrood’s Social Security Committee expresses ‘deep concerns’ over Universal Credit
People engaging with Scotland’s new social security system will be treated with dignity and respect, Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has pledged. Continue reading Our Charter: treating people with dignity, fairness and respect
New body will provide independent and expert scrutiny
Dr Sally Witcher OBE has been appointed by Scottish Ministers as chair of the Scottish Commission on Social Security, a new body tasked with scrutinising the Scottish social security system.
Dr Witcher is currently the Chief Executive of Inclusion Scotland and has around 30 years of experience working in a range of relevant roles.
Announcing the appointment, Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville (above) said: “I am delighted to appoint Sally Witcher to this new but vitally important role. As we continue to build a Scottish social security system it is only right that we are held to account for the decisions we take.
“I know that Sally shares my desire to create a social security system based upon the principles of dignity, fairness and respect and I warmly welcome her to this position.”
Dr Witcher said: “The Social Security Act Scotland represents an historic opportunity to establish a coherent system based on dignity and respect. The challenge now will be to ensure that the positive commitments set out in the Charter are translated into the real-life experience of people claiming devolved benefits.
“The Scottish Commission on Social Security will have a key role to play in scrutinising developments and promoting accountability. It is a great honour to be appointed to the role of Chair of the Commission.”
The Scottish Commission on Social Security will provide independent and expert scrutiny of the Scottish social security system (including the benefit regulations), holding Ministers to account for delivering a system based on dignity, fairness and respect.
Dr Sally Witcher has worked, at different times and in different roles, on matters relating to social security over a period of approximately 30 years. She is currently the CEO of Inclusion Scotland, Deputy Chair of the Disability and Carers’ Benefits Expert Advisory Group and a member of the Scottish Government’s Poverty and Inequality Commission.
From 2006-2010 she was a senior civil servant in the Office for Disability Issues, DWP, and, before that, she chaired the Disability Employment Advisory Committee (a UK Government Non Departmental Public Body) and worked in consultancy and academia, based in Edinburgh.
In the 1990s she was the Director of the Child Poverty Action Group. She has been a member of many government and research advisory groups, including for the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at the London School of Economics. Sally is herself a disabled person and A Disability Living Allowance recipient. She was awarded an OBE in 2006 for services to disabled people.
More information is available here.
The Social Security Charter is a document that sets out how you should be treated by Social Security Scotland. It will be published early in the new year.
No evidence the Committee received was “more compelling than that against the imposition of conditionality and sanctions on people with a disability or health condition. It does not work. Worse, it is harmful and counterproductive.” Continue reading “Pointlessly cruel”: Commons committee publishes damning report on benefits sanctions
Edinburgh braced for roll out of Universal Credit this month
Nearly one in two people in receipt of Universal Credit in Scotland has chosen for their payments to be paid in a different way when offered the choice by the Scottish Government.
While Universal Credit is reserved to the UK Government, Scottish Ministers have used their limited powers in this area to enable people to receive payments more frequently and/or for the housing cost in their payment to be made directly to their landlords, which should help reduce rent arrears and evictions.
Newly published figures show that, by the end of August this year, 66,700 people had been offered one or both Scottish choices since October 2017, with around 32,000 – almost 50% – taking up the offer.
Speaking on a visit to Prospect Community Housing in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Universal Credit is causing undeniable hardship and misery to people and families across the country and the roll out of Universal Credit full service comes to Edinburgh from next month.
“The UK Government missed an opportunity to use the budget to address the fundamental flaws with Universal Credit including delays to payments, the minimum five week delay in getting first payment and the appalling two-child cap.
“The Scottish Government will continue to call for a halt to Universal Credit until it is made fit for purpose. We cannot be expected to fill the £3.7 billion gap in welfare spending caused by UK Government cuts, particularly on a continuing real terms cut in fiscal budget of 5.9% between 2010-11 and 2019-20.
“We have done what we can with our limited powers, providing people who receive Universal Credit with choices on the frequency of their payments and paying housing costs directly to their landlord. We have also committed to introduce split payments of the Universal Credit award in Scotland to ensure everyone has access to an independent income.
“The high take-up rate of our Universal Credit Scottish choices is evidence people want more flexibility and adaptability in how they receive the support that they are entitled to.”
Of the 31,960 people who chose one or both of the Universal Credit (UC) Scottish choices, 26,910 chose to implement more frequent payments. 11,430 chose to have the housing element of UC paid direct to their landlords, and 6,380 chose both. An additional 4,000 also requested and took up one or both of the choices.
The full publication is available here.
UC Scottish choices give recipients of UC in Scotland a choice to have their UC award paid either monthly or twice monthly, and have the housing costs in their award of UC paid direct to their landlord. A person can make just one or both choices, depending on their circumstances. It was introduced on 4 October 2017 for people accessing UC for new claims in full service areas. On 31 January 2018 it was extended to everyone receiving UC in full service areas.
As UC is reserved to the UK Government, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) deliver the choices on behalf of the Scottish Government and charge the Scottish Government for that.
Assessments for disability support will be carried out by Social Security Scotland, fully supported by public sector healthcare professionals – and people will be given greater choice and flexibility over their assessments. Continue reading Social Security Scotland to deliver disability assessments
The social security benefits available to people who are in-work but struggling on low incomes is to be the focus of an inquiry by Holyrood’s Social Security Committee. MSPs want to understand if our social security systems are doing enough to help people get out of poverty. Continue reading Holyrood Committee to investigate Social Security and in-work poverty
LIFT (Low Income Families Together) organised an event to give local people an opportunity to learn more about the ongoing changes to the welfare and benefits system yesterday. Around sixty people attended the Scotland’s New Social Security System: What Does It Mean for You? conference in Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre yesterday. Continue reading LIFTing the lid on Scotland’s new social security system
Scottish Greens yesterday successfully pushed for a duty to be placed on government to consider existing evidence before ordering additional assessments for devolved social security benefits.
Assessments for the controversial Personal Independence Payment, which thousands of Scots have been called for, can be stressful and humiliating and in many cases not necessary because there is sufficient existing medical and other evidence.
At a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Social Security Committee, the Minister for Social Security, Jeane Freeman, accepted the intention of the amendment from Alison Johnstone MSP and pledged to work with her to implement its intentions before the Bill passes, likely this summer.
Speaking after the meeting, Lothian MSP Ms Johnstone, said: “If we are to found this new system on the principles of dignity and respect, then we should protect applicants from unnecessary assessments that cause distress.
“I am pleased to hear that the Scottish Government accept the principle of my amendment, and have agreed to work with me to ensure the final bill enshrines a duty for existing evidence to be considered by the Scottish Government before an assessment can be ordered.”
Citizens Advice Scotland describe such a move as “the highest priority for the Scottish social security system”.
The move comes after two earlier successes. The Scottish Social Security system will now include a principle that social security should reduce poverty, as a result of a Green amendment now passed.
Also as a result of a Green amendment, the Scottish Government has now recognised the unfair situation faced by carers who care for more than one person. Alison Johnstone has raised the issue that Carer’s Allowance claimants who care for more than one person yet receive no recognition of this. This can mean that some carers miss out on the support altogether.
Jeane Freeman said: “I fully appreciate the point that Ms Johnstone makes, and the fact that many of Scotland’s carers are splitting their hours of care between more than one person and might be missing out on support despite having significant caring responsibilities.
“I am also sympathetic to the principle that we should recognise a wider range of caring situations and ensure that we are providing support to those who need it. I want to ensure that we fully support carers, as I know Ms Johnstone does.”
Alison Johnstone added: “Greens are helping to build a fairer Scotland. As a result of Green action, the new social security system will have the overriding aim to reduce poverty and the Scottish Government has pledged to look at the situation facing people who have multiple caring responsibilities, which Greens raised.
And today, the Scottish Government has accepted the Green manifesto pledge to significantly reduce the number of unfair benefits assessments by making better use of existing evidence.”
Macpherson MSP said that SNP Scottish Government amendments passed yesterday were ground-breaking in ensuring anyone challenging a decision on their social security entitlements will not experience a gap in financial support.
Local SNP MSP Ben Macpherson, who sits on Holyrood’s Social Security Committee said: “Amendments brought forward by Minister for Social Security Jeane Freeman mean that through short-term assistance payments, people will continue to have financial support when redeterminations or appeals are undertaken.
“This is an extremely positive and ground-breaking move that will ensure any claimant wishing to challenge decisions about their benefits entitlements will not be faced with suddenly having no financial support while their appeal is made.
“This means that, unlike the current DWP system, no-one will face the cliff-edge of suddenly losing much needed benefits while they wait for decisions to be taken about their future payments.
“The Scottish Government is making clear on the face of the Social Security Bill that nobody will be left in the lurch, or be pushed into crisis, while an independent body scrutinises their appeals, and their payments will be maintained at the original level throughout any such appeal.
“This will be an extremely important and positive function of a Social Security System in Scotland that is embedded in dignity and respect and with peoples’ right to social security firmly at its heart – and I am proud to have played my part in shaping it.”
Scotland’s Social Security Bill will now be enshrined with a commitment to reducing poverty after a Green MSP’s amendment was passed by a committee. Green MSP Alison Johnstone says the commitment to reducing poverty means that Scotland will now be better committed to people in need, taking a different approach from the UK government. Continue reading Greens strengthen Social Security Bill
