The Poverty and Inequality Commission (PIC) said the growth in spend reflects justifiable decisions to address poverty, improve disability benefit processes and mitigate the effect of UK Government welfare reforms.Pre-Budget Scrutiny – SPICe prepared Call for Views Summary Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) similarly commented—
the design of the social security system should be driven by the needs of people in our society, not arbitrary spending limits.Pre-Budget Scrutiny – SPICe prepared Call for Views Summary
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) made the point that spend is aligned with the principles set out in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, which were backed by the Scottish Parliament, while Social Enterprise Scotland linked the impact of payments with increased consumer spending and better health outcomes that benefit Scotland's economy.Pre-Budget Scrutiny – SPICe prepared Call for Views Summary