Scottish Social Security Committee expresses ‘considerable concern’ about significant number of people unable to access social security support during Covid pandemic

Report on how social security can aid Scotland’s recovery from Covid-19 calls on UK and Scottish Governments to explore feasibility of a Citizens Basic Income as one way to widen support

The Scottish Social Security Committee has expressed ‘considerable concern’ about the significant number of people unable to access social security support during the Covid pandemic.

In The Social Security Response to Covid-19, published today, the Committee considers how Scottish social security, and its part within the broader context of all UK social security, should contribute to the social and economic recovery from Covid-19.

While the report praises the amount of resource that has been passed to public bodies, local authorities and the third sector to help in response to the pandemic, it expresses deep concerns about the number of people - including groups such as the newly self-employed and people with savings - who have been unable to access any support. The report also highlights that it is not clear whether lessons are being learned about how existing services should be reformed and new services designed to provide more effective support.

As a result, and identifying weaknesses in the current system of support, the Committee makes recommendations for reform that include -

• where appropriate, and unless there are strong reasons not to, the Scottish Government should consider whether financial assistance can be provided to those in need through social security entitlements rather than local discretionary schemes - which have been used through the pandemic to meet urgent, short-term needs - and should take a rights-based approach to social security that means delivery as a national entitlement;
• to respond to the Committee's 'considerable concern' about the significant number of people who have been unable to access any government social security support, the Scottish and UK Governments should work together to consider the feasibility of a Citizens Basic Income as part of the response to any future crisis;
• the Scottish Government should commit to reviewing whether the purpose, operation and funding of the Scottish Welfare Fund remain fit for purpose, and work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to consider the resourcing and administration of the Fund;
• the UK Government should remove the five-week wait for a first payment of universal credit, abolish the 2-child limit and the benefit cap, and make permanent the temporary increases of £20 to universal credit and working tax credit and apply the uplift to legacy benefits; and
• both Governments should work constructively together to respond to the crisis, in particular given that the main income-replacement benefit, universal credit, is reserved to UK Ministers;

Social Security Committee Convener Bob Doris said today -

‘This pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on people’s lives, particularly our most vulnerable in society.

Social security has a critical role to play in supporting people at times of crisis and while we recognise the unprecedented support both the Scottish and UK Governments have provided, it is clear that too many people have fallen through the cracks

In order to protect the most vulnerable, the temporary uplift in universal credit must be made permanent, and more must be done to help those not currently eligible for support, particularly the newly self-employed and those with savings. A Citizens Basic Income for the duration of any future crisis may be one way to protect those who have missed out on support.’

NB - Mr Doris was also highly critical of the lack of involvement in the Committee’s work from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions -

‘… [she] did not accept any of the Committee’s invitations to give evidence, either for this inquiry or previous Committee work. Given the interlinked nature of social security across both Governments, this must change in future.’

For more information, see MSPs call on UK Government to make the £20 Universal Credit uplift permanent to aid recovery from the pandemic from parliament.scot