Enabling people to thrive and live with dignity.
The latest paper in the Building a New Scotland series, Social
Security in an independent Scotland, published this week,
outlined how a Minimum Income Guarantee could ensure everyone can
achieve a dignified standard of living.
The proposals included how a Minimum Income Guarantee could:
- be set at a higher rate than current UK Government benefits
and respond to real changes to the cost of living
- enable all households to live with financial security
- ensure those who are able achieve the minimum income level
through fair and accessible paid work
Social Justice Secretary said:
“With limited powers, the Scottish Government has already
delivered transformative social security benefits that have made
a real difference to people’s lives. Due to the policies of this
government, an estimated 90,000 fewer children are expected to
live in poverty this year.
“However, we want to go further and that is why we have proposed
that a Minimum Income Guarantee could be introduced in an
independent Scotland to ensure everyone has enough support to not
only survive, but to thrive.
“The UK approach to social security has provided inadequate
levels of financial support and has eroded the effectiveness of
the safety net. It is only with the full economic and fiscal
powers of an independent nation that we can use all the levers
other governments have to tackle inequalities in Scotland.”
Background
Social Security in an
independent Scotland
Work to explore the potential for a Minimum Income Guarantee is
taking place in this parliamentary term. With cross-party
support, a Strategy Group and an Expert Group have been set up to
look at how such a guarantee could be developed under current
powers and what this could look like with the full powers of
independence.
The report acknowledges that it may not be possible to realise
the full potential of a Minimum Income Guarantee under the
current devolution settlement, but it sets out a bold vision for
a universal guarantee of financial security – making sure that we
all have enough money for housing, food and the essentials that
allow us to live a decent, dignified, and healthy life.
