Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 117
Second Report - Welfare policy in Scotland
Published 23 Jun 2021
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Welfare policy in Scotland All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Poverty Alliance in their written evidence to us highlighted that from their research they found that the five week wait was ‘the most negative aspect of Universal Credit for many people.’295 They argue that the policy is a major driver of poverty and destitution and has forced people into income crisis and food insecurity.296 Citizens Advice Scotland also highlighted that for people who have no savings or without family or friends to borrow money from the policy ‘forces people to use foodbanks; accumulate debt; and, causes detriment to their physical and mental health.’297 Their evidence also notes that: ‘A significant number of people do not have a financial buffer in the form of a final month’s salary to rely on during the five week waiting period [ … ] [and] 1 in 4 people living in Scotland have less than £500 in savings.’298
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, Second Report - Welfare policy in Scotland (HC 55), 23 June 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 19 November 2021 (deadline 23 August 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The UK Government "notes the Committee's recommendations" and responds to each in turn, accepting little of the report's welfare-policy proposals and referring several to the Scottish Government.
- On the £20 uplift and legacy benefits, it states "There was never any plan to extend the uplift to legacy benefits."
- On work allowances, it states it "has no plans to extend the work allowance to single adults".
- On Help to Claim funding, it "considers the existing resource to be sufficient", and says DWP agreed to fund Citizens Advice Scotland for another year, "up to 31 March 2022".
- On data sharing and Recommendations 2, 7 and 8, it says each data request "must be examined" by DWP as Data Controller, and treats several recommendations as "for the Scottish Government".