Chamber and committees

Thanks. It is really helpful to get some of that detail.

If you could send that additional information to the committee, that would be really helpful.

Those were really helpful responses.

The committee really values your views. Earlier, we heard evidence that we need more detail about the bill, particularly on the duty to act and what that means in practice for relevant bodies. What are your views on how clear the duties are? That question goes first to Pat Togher.

Thank you for that. Back to you, convener.

Thanks for that. Do you want to comment, Susie Fitton?

Does anyone else want to come in on that?

Some of the witnesses have already touched on my question, so do not feel that you all have to answer. What might be the financial and resource impacts of the ask and act duty? Do you agree with the Scottish Government that up-front investment will save money in the long run?

Thanks. I know that a lot of good practice is happening already in some authorities—it certainly is in my area.

I thank my colleague Evelyn Tweed for securing this important debate. It is our duty as elected representatives to ensure that we maximise take-up of social security benefits to those who are eligible. Rightly, we have a system that helps our citizens thrive and provides support when they are in need. Despite the availability of various benefits and extra benefits that are specific only to Scotland, Policy in Practice estimates that the total amount of unclaimed income-related benefits and social tariffs across Britain is now £22.7 billion a year.

Understanding why people are not taking up benefits is really important if we are to increase take-up. Many people simply do not know that they are eligible, while others might be deterred because they feel that the application process is too complex and stigmatising.

It is welcome that we have useful services available to help people to navigate their way through the benefits process, such as citizens advice bureaux, VoiceAbility Scotland and, locally in my constituency, Improving Lives and Working4U. Those are all essential services that can help to assess eligibility for benefits and help people to apply. I highlight the work that the Clydebank Asbestos Group is doing with Unite the union’s retired members to maximise take-up of attendance allowance; it is determined to make a difference.

Unfortunately, stigma around claiming benefits continues to discourage people from getting the help that they need. It is up to us to combat the stigma and to change the narrative around benefits. Benefits are a safety net and they are normal; we are all only one life event away from needing to claim them ourselves.

A recent report from the Poverty Alliance Scotland for the collaborative project with the Scottish Government to assess the impacts of poverty-related stigma on benefit take-up found that

“Most Panellists agreed that stigma had gotten worse with austerity, the UK Government’s ‘welfare reform’, and the cost-of-living crisis ... Several spoke of putting off claiming as long as they possibly could, to the point of hunger and destitution,”

which is astonishing and really concerning. In contrast, dealing with Social Security Scotland was viewed as a “less stigmatising experience” than dealing with the DWP. The difference was noted as “night and day,” with one person commenting:

“I’ve only really felt in the past year or two that I’ve been able to draw breath, basically due to the change in attitude of Scottish government rather than Westminster government. Before that, every assessment was basically panic and dread.”

The approaches taken to promote the Scottish child payment were also felt to have been particularly effective. Panellists had seen advertising campaigns on social media and welcomed the more humane language, and 45 per cent of panellists were aware of the Social Security Scotland charter, having received copies of that in the post along with letters. Those really positive comments highlight how Social Security Scotland is tackling stigma to ensure that people feel encouraged to apply for benefits.

More work is, of course, required and I note the recommendations in the Poverty Alliance report, but it is welcome that the Scottish Government, through its benefit take-up strategy, is implementing a range of initiatives, including offering access to independent advocacy support and targeting the marketing of payments.

Social security is an investment in the Scottish people. We must raise awareness and fight stigma to ensure that everyone who is eligible receives the financial support that they so rightly deserve. One big issue facing Scottish families is the UK benefit system’s denial of basic subsistence levels. We act to maximise take-up, but the UK Government actively has a policy to deny full entitlement. The two-child limit policy and its abhorrent rape clause, which is favoured by the Labour and Tory parties, affects at least 87,000 children in Scotland. That is an appalling and deliberate denial of take-up that will end only when Scotland is independent and has full power over social security.