Local people united in the fight to keep families in their homes will meet next week to plan the next stage of their campaign. Continue reading Campaigners to step up challenge to benefits cap
Tag: welfare reform
Ben Macpherson: benefits cuts – blame the Tories
A group of local women and their supporters will lobby councillors as they arrive to attend the first meeting of the new city council this morning. Some of the group face becoming homeless as a result of benefits cuts and the women will urge councillors to take action to stop children being forced from their homes.
Many of the women and their families live in MSP Ben Macpherson’s Northern and Leith consituency, and the MSP’s office has taken up their case.
Ben Macpherson said: “As of April this year, the Tories have reduced their punitive Benefit Cap and the effects are, distressingly, already being sharply felt in our communities. This regressive UK Government policy is hitting vulnerable groups across our communities, causing hardship and poverty. I have been working hard to help all of those I represent who are suffering as a result of Tory UK Government welfare reform, and recently, in particular, those affected by the Tory Benefit Cap.
“With an election coming up, the Tories should be judged on their dismal record of shamefully and repeatedly punishing those less fortunate.
“As well as harmful Tory cuts, one of the biggest challenges we are facing as a result of UK Government welfare reform is a lack of clarity – and as a result people aren’t benefiting from the financial support to which they are entitled. This is causing stress and anxiety, and shockingly for some it is resulting in homelessness. This distress and injustice is both wrong and unnecessary and the Tories need to realise the anguish and grief that their policies are causing.
“As we all try to deal with the negative consequences of Tory welfare reform, there must also be a focus on ensuring that people are aware of the benefit changes currently taking place, how the changes will affect them and what financial support they are entitled to. I am glad that Edinburgh City Council have already responded to my request to assist those affected in North Edinburgh; and that, as part of this, the Council are planning to hold advice surgeries to provide clarity and support for local people, in order to try to avoid further instances of homelessness.
“Yet again though, in Scotland we are having to try to “mitigate” senseless Tory cuts. Across Scotland, the Scottish Government is spending £10.9m, up from £4.8m, to help mitigate against the Benefit Cap through LHA rates. And this week, I will be leading a debate in the Scottish Parliament about the cuts to housing support for 18 to 21 year-olds – a Tory policy which is a clear attack on young people in our country, and yet another example of the fact that the Tories are quite prepared to damage the prospects of younger and future generations. These cuts that the Tories have pushed through are putting more and more pressure on local services and support systems, as well as senselessly harming those affected.
“Mitigating all of the cuts coming from the UK Government would cost Scotland £2 billion. Scotland cannot be expected to pay twice because the Tories don’t have the decency, empathy or wisdom to provide an adequate social security safety net. We cannot give carte blanche to the Tories to keep making their senseless cuts. The Tories are the party who are responsible for proposing and implementing these futile policies and they must be the ones who are held accountable for the damage they are causing.”
He went on: “Since being elected, a number of my constituents with children have been housed in B&Bs as a result of having to declare themselves homeless. This cannot go on. I fully recognise, as does the Council, that this type of accommodation is both unacceptable and unsuitable for families, and I am glad that Edinburgh Council have said that they are taking active steps to eliminate such use of B&Bs in the near future.”
With suitable housing in short supply, it’s difficult to see how the council will tackle this crisis – and the introduction of Universal Credit will make the situation even more critical.
The council meeting starts at 10am.
I, Daniel Blake: Action Against Austerity event this Saturday
Around 500 activists are planning to take the message of ‘ I, DANIEL BLAKE‘ from the cinema into our communities and will be calling on the Scottish Government to do everything in their power to eradicate the draconian elements in the UK Welfare provision. Continue reading I, Daniel Blake: Action Against Austerity event this Saturday
Scottish Social Security consultation arouses strong feelings
Thousands of Scots share their views on the social security system
The three-month consultation on building a Scottish social security system has ended – for now. Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman says the government will publish a report in the New Year and insists the dialogue will continue. Continue reading Scottish Social Security consultation arouses strong feelings
Dierdre Brock: Dump the rape clause
Public’s help needed, says local MP Continue reading Dierdre Brock: Dump the rape clause
Disability rights campaigners to stage candlelight vigil
Thursday 3 December 4pm St Giles Cathedral
Holyrood: ‘Welfare reforms are not working’
Controversial reforms to the benefits system are failing in their objective of encouraging the unemployed into work, according to new research published this week.
A report published by the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee has found “little support for the view that welfare reform is having important and positive impacts on the labour market in Scotland”. The reforms are estimated to take £1.5bn out of the Scottish economy, equivalent to £440 a year for every adult of working age, as evidenced in previous research for the Committee.
The research was conducted for the Committee by Christina Beatty and Steve Forthergill of Sheffield Hallam University and Donald Houston of the University of Glasgow. It sets out detailed analysis of the link between employment figures and the various welfare reforms.
Michael McMahon MSP, Convener of the Welfare Reform Committee, said: “This research presents firm evidence that welfare reforms are not working.
“Thousands of people in Scotland have faced upheaval in their lives as a result of these changes, yet they are not leading to more people entering the job market.
“Just as our Committee has already heard from witnesses, the report also shows that people are fighting on several fronts to make ends meet as they are hit by cuts to multiple benefits. This tallies with research we published earlier this year that concluded that parents and people with disabilities were being hit hardest by welfare reform.”
The report also argues that it is economic recovery, in the form of improved consumer spending and higher borrowing, that has contributed to higher employment levels (and reduced numbers of unemployed people in Scotland), rather than welfare reform.
Larger than average reductions in unemployment in the places hit hardest by welfare reform also happened in previous economic upturns. This makes it impossible to attribute recent trends to welfare reform.
Mr McMahon continued: “The most deprived areas of the country are contributing the most savings to the welfare budget. Yet rather than this shining a spotlight on the success of welfare reform it only serves to highlight that these areas are losing out financially against other, better-off parts of the country.”
Evidence was based on the impact of reforms introduced before 2015, however the report considers the likely impact of the £12bn of further welfare cuts recently announced by Chancellor, George Osbourne MP. It concludes that it is hard to see this new round of reductions having any greater impact on the labour market. Given that reductions to tax credits account for around half the additional planned saving, and that a large proportion of these cuts falls on in-work claimants, a reduction in the numbers on out-of-work benefits seems even less likely as a result of the new round of welfare reforms.
Professor Fothergill said: “This research delivers a severe blow to the Westminster government claims about the positive impact of welfare reforms on the labour market, not just in Scotland but potentially across the rest of the UK as well.”
Professor Fothergill will appear before the Committee on Tuesday (8 September).
Women hit hardest by welfare reforms
‘inequalities faced by women have been exacerbated by the welfare reform agenda’ – Clare Adamson MSP
Women are being hit hard on multiple fronts by changes to the benefits system, according to a report published by Holyrood’s Welfare Reform Committee today.
The Committee found women are ‘disproportionately impacted’ by welfare reform across a range of issues and benefits. Its report includes recommendations to the Scottish Government and Department of Work and Pensions, aimed at mitigating the impact of welfare reform on women, including:
- An integrated approach to job seeking support across health, housing and social care, to better meet the needs of women.
- To tackle the greater dependence of women on the benefits system due to low pay and insecure employment, the Committee calls for better measures to close the gender pay gap and end occupational segregation.
Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP, said: “The evidence we have set out confirms the devastating impact on women of the UK Government’s reforms to the social security system. Of particular concern is the cumulative impact on women hit by multiple benefits cuts, from child support to carer’s allowance.
“The UK Government urgently needs to look at how women are being affected by these changes and we are also calling on the Scottish Government to look at the gender impact of their own policy decisions.”
Deputy Convener Clare Adamson MSP, said: ““Our report shows inequalities faced by women in Scotland have been exacerbated by the welfare reform agenda. With the Scotland Bill still making its way through Westminster and the Chancellor set to announce even deeper cuts to welfare spending, the Committee is urging the Scottish Government to make use of expected new powers over welfare to help mitigate more of the negative impact of welfare reform on women.
“The Committee would, for instance, support a move away from monthly and single household payments under Universal Credit, as a way of protecting women’s financial autonomy.”
The report will come as no surprise to many, but perhaps of more concern is the scale of cuts still to come: Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce a further £12 billion of welfare ‘savings’ in his budget on Wednesday.
Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess said more women could be pushed into poverty and disproportionately affected by social security reforms if the UK Government cuts £12 billion from its welfare budget.
Commenting on the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee’s Women and Social Security report Mrs Burgess expressed her fears that the UK Government’s emergency budget would only deepen the gender inequalities highlighted in the findings.
The report backed Scottish Government recommendations on payment flexibilities under Universal Credit and it also highlighted the need for gender impacts to be factored into any policy decisions.
Mrs Burgess will meet women at One Parent Families Scotland in Glasgow today to hear their views on how the Scottish Government can create a Fairer Scotland. This comes on the same day as Barnardo’s Scotland and the Scottish Government joined forces to call a halt to proposed cuts.
Mrs Burgess said: “It is alarming to see that women have been disproportionately affected by the UK Government’s benefits cuts and are twice as dependent on social security than men. I am deeply concerned that the UK Government’s £12 billion cuts will only widen this gap.
“With our new powers we will create a fairer and simpler social security system that aims to tackle gender and other inequalities. However we need to know how the UK Government’s cost cutting will affect benefits that are to be devolved.
“Organisations like One Parent Families Scotland and Barnardo’s Scotland see the effects of social security changes on the groups the report highlights as being particularly vulnerable, on a day to day basis, and are rightly concerned about the devastating impact further cuts could have on children.
“We welcome the Committee’s recommendations over Universal Credit and sanctions, and we will continue to do all we can to break down the barriers that prevent women from entering into work.
“Over the next few months we’ll be listening to the people affected by the UK Government’s welfare changes and cuts and, will be making sure we get the views of women on how we can create a system that suits their needs.
“Despite challenges from the UK Government we are tackling poverty head on. Our new Independent Adviser on Poverty and Inequality will be looking at what more we can do to lift people out of poverty, we have invested £296 million in welfare mitigation measures, extended our childcare and are encouraging employers to pay the Living Wage.”
Last week the children’s commissioners for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland warned in a report to the United Nations that government austerity measures had failed to protect the most vulnerable children. The report said the £12bn of planned cuts would have the biggest effect on the 2.3 million children in the UK estimated to be living in poverty.
Life on the edge: fears over latest austerity cuts
Proposed round of welfare cuts could plunge many more into crisis
Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil today expressed concern at the further suffering and negative impact that will be caused if the UK Government carries out proposed £12 billion cuts to benefits.
Mr Neil spoke following the publication of the Welfare Reform Tracking Study, which showed that many people accessing benefits are living in constant fear of further cuts. The Social Justice Secretary said he is worried that Scotland’s most vulnerable people would be pushed further into poverty and desperation.
The Scottish Government commissioned Edinburgh Napier University to carry out the Welfare Reform Tracking Study with interviews with participants carried out between September 2013 and March 2015. The aim of the study is to explore the impact of on-going welfare changes on a range of households in Scotland over time.
The study, which looks at on-going changes to working age benefits, revealed all respondents, including those in work, found themselves in very difficult financial situations and therefore felt an underlying sense of ‘precariousness’. Many were anxious that changes to their circumstances or entitlements would push them into crisis situations.
Many participants also said they received poor and sometimes conflicting communications from benefits agencies and that there is often a lack of clarity over information provided, causing more stress and uncertainty.
Disabled participants also felt they had to present themselves in a negative light and focus on their limitations rather than their capabilities, while the challenges of work capability assessments and repeat assessments for people with permanent disabilities were also highlighted in the study.
Mr Neil said the findings of the study outlined exactly why the UK Government should urgently rethink their plans to further cut the welfare budget.
He said: “The UK Government’s austerity agenda and benefit cuts are having a very damaging effect on people in Scotland. Their approach is slashing the incomes of some of our poorest households and pushing 100,000 children into poverty.
“The Welfare Reform Tracking Study is further evidence that people are living in constant anxiety about changes to their entitlements and are already suffering from the effects of around £6 billion of cuts taken from Scottish Welfare expenditure over the last five years. This is hugely concerning as the UK Government should be looking to lift people out of poverty not push them further into it.
“Despite these frustrations we will do all we can to use our new powers to make our system fairer and simpler and work to improve the experience for people.
“We will work quickly to implement these changes and base our social security system on how best to support people and tackle inequalities and not on crude opportunities to save money.”
The report is available at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/06/7394 and the appendices:http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/06/6817
Holyrood comes to Craigmillar!
Jack Kane Centre to host Scottish Parliament Day
People living in Craigmillar are being asked how changes to the benefits system have affected them as the Scottish Parliament visits the regeneration area on the south east side of the city tomorrow (Monday 18 May).
Holyrood’s Parliament Day initiative, introduced by the Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP, aims to take the Parliament out into communities around Scotland, encouraging local people to take an interest in and engage directly with the Parliament and its work.
The Welfare Reform Committee, which was set up to examine the impact of changes to benefits and welfare introduced by the UK Government, will hold a ‘Your Say’ session from 2 – 4.30pm.
Members of the local communities, including those from Craigmillar, Niddrie and Portobello are invited to come along and get involved.
In the evening, local people are also invited to a relaxed, informal Q&A session at 5:30pm, hosted by the Presiding Officer, where they can quiz MSPs about how their Parliament works for them. MSPs Gavin Brown, Kezia Dugdale and Kenny MacAskill will also be in attendance.
The Presiding Officer said: “We know that the people of Scotland want to be involved in the political process and that is why the Parliament is going out across Scotland and right into our communities.
“I would like to encourage as many people as possible to join us at the Jack Kane Centre. Together with my fellow MSPs we are looking forward to hearing about what matters to local people.”
Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP said: “The Welfare Reform Committee was set up to examine the welfare reform programme and its impact on Scotland. Our research has shown Portobello/ Craigmillar to be the worst hit area of Edinburgh in terms of the welfare changes.
“Our Committee has put personal experiences at the heart of our work and we want to sit down with local people who have been affected by or are worried about changes to the benefits system.”
Welfare Reform Committee: ‘Your Say’ Informal Meeting
- Jack Kane Community Centre, 208 Niddrie Mains Road
- From 2- 4:30pm
- Free entry, free refreshments
Local residents are encouraged to come along and talk to MSPs and others in an informal, welcoming setting about the changes to benefits that matter to you.
Public Meeting with the Presiding Officer and local MSPs
- Jack Kane Community Centre, 208 Niddrie Mains Road
- 5:30pm
- Free entry, free refreshments
- Q&A session with MSPs
For more information, visit www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentdays