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Spotlight on: Social Security Scotland
News
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1 Apr 2023
by Stephanie Millar, CAS social policy manager.
This article was first published in the Herald on 1 April 2023.
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29 Aug 2022
by Stephanie Millar, CAS policy manager (Social Justice team).
This article was first published in the Herald on 29 August 2022.
Publications
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CAS Responds
Publication date: April 2023
We have responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on how the mobility component of the new Adult Disability Payment is working.
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Publication date: October 2022
CAS has responded to the Scottish Government's Consultation on Improving Scotland's Social Security.
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Publication date: January 2022
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is supportive of the proposed approach to ending poverty and the need for food banks. The twin emphasis on prevention and response ensures the reasons for food bank use are tackled at source, rather than focusing only on how emergency support is delivered, and overall CAS would agree that moving towards a cash-first approach to food aid is a positive step. Measures which enable people to choose their own food can restore dignity in emergency food provision, enable people to buy food they enjoy and choose the items that will make the most difference to themselves and their families.
However, there are additional dimensions to the need for food banks that CAS would call for further consideration of. These include:
› The role of advice services in food bank referrals
› Availability of social security support for different types of people
› Debt as a driving factor in food bank use
› Fuel poverty as a driving factor in food bank use
› Housing costs as a driving factor for food bank use
› Potential barriers to a cash-first scheme
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Publication date: September 2021
The Scottish Campaign on Rights to Social Security (SCoRSS) is a coalition of organisations who advocate for a reformed social security system that reflects the five principles set out in our Principles for Change. SCoRSS (previously the Scottish Campaign on Welfare Reform) encompasses over 40 organisations from key third sector organisations, charities, faith groups, and unions. Our members have a diverse range of experience and expertise and a strong understanding of social security and its impact on the people and communities we work with.
Focusing on the impact the £20-a-week cut to UC will have to Scotland, our briefing shows that:
- Nearly three quarters (74%) of Scottish Citizens Advice Bureau clients on UC will struggle if the cut goes through;
- 1 in 4 people claiming UC in Scotland say they are ‘very likely’ to need to skip meals when the cut hits, and 17% say they are very likely to use a food bank;
- As many as 4,000 low-income households (8,000 children) will lose entitlement to Scottish Child Payment if the cut goes ahead, due to the passporting of Scottish Child Payment from UC, meaning these families may face an income cut greater than £20-a-week; and
- More than half a billion pounds a year will be removed from the Scottish economy, cutting support for some of the most deprived parts of the UK.
SCoRSS is calling for the £20 weekly increase to Universal Credit to be made permanent.
