Social Security Scotland is 'shining example of what independence can do'

The National

a day ago

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said after being in charge of the social security system in Scotland for more than half of its life, the 'extraordinary amount' the Holyrood government has to spend on mitigating Westminster policies has become 'a real frustration'.
While she said she is proud of the way the Government has 'stepped up' to save Scots from the worst impacts of UK Government welfare policies – with £1.4 billion spent on mitigation over the last 15 years – she is 'angry' so much money has had to be spent on covering for 'the inadequacies of the Union'.
Somerville insisted that with Social Security Scotland – which has been responsible for devolved benefits since 2018 – the Scottish Government has demonstrated how the welfare system could be transformed through independence.
'What we've done is demonstrate, through the work we've done through devolution, that you can have a robust system, but a fair and humane one, and it works exceptionally well,' she said.
'It doesn't mean to say we can't make it better, but we've demonstrated you can have a system that delivers for people, and I think social security and the success we've made of it, it doesn't just demonstrate why we should have the powers for the remainder of the social security system – because the vast majority is still down at Westminster – I think it demonstrates exactly why when Scotland has powers we use them differently and the people of Scotland benefit from that type of service that's done in a different way, that has their interests at heart.'
Somerville (below) added: 'I am proud the Scottish Government stepped up [to mitigate Westminster policies], but I am angry and frustrated we have to, and that we do that because of the inadequacies of the Union and the settlement we are in.
(Image: Jane Barlow) 'Everything we mitigate against is money we cannot spend on the NHS, on our transport system. That's the real frustration to me.
'While we remain in this settlement, we will continue to step up to protect people but there is a better way, and I think that's why, while I'm proud of what we're doing in social security, I think it is the shining example of how you can do things differently.
'If we had our independence, we could be doing that on a much bigger scale than we are at the moment when we are still beholden to Westminster.'
Next year, the Scottish Government will mitigate against the two-child benefit cap introduced by the Tories at Westminster in 2017 and continued by Labour.
An estimated £155 million will be spent on mitigating the policy in 2026/27, and this will rise to £200m by 2029/30, according to the Scottish Fiscal Commission.
Somerville said: 'If you look at the cost of mitigation overall, we've committed £1.4 bn from 15 years of mitigation. That's an extraordinary amount that we have not been able to spend on other areas.
'That will go up still further when we begin to mitigate the full extent of the two-child cap. That's a choice we've taken and I'm proud of the fact we will do that and support people, but we have to recognise it has implications for the Scottish Government budget and it doesn't need to be like that if only the UK Government would do its job rather than us having to do that for them.'
Social Security Scotland delivers several benefits including family and disability payments, many of which are unique to Scotland such as the Scottish Child Payment (SCP).
In 2023, Oxford professor Danny Dorling said the SCP had sparked the biggest reduction in inequality caused by a single policy change since the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
Statistics in March show rates of both relative and absolute child poverty were nine percentage points lower in Scotland than the UK average in 2023/24.
Somerville explained the SCP was brought in as a response to the 'inadequacy' of Universal Credit – one of many benefits still reserved to Westminster.
The SCP forms a significant part of Social Security Scotland's different approach to benefits administration which is based on 'dignity, fairness and respect'.
(Image: NICK MAILER) Professor Stephen Sinclair (above), based at Glasgow Caledonian University, said in 2023 that the 'style and culture' around benefits in Scotland was different to that in the London government, as well as the benefits themselves being more generous.
He said claimants on Scottish benefits felt a residual 'unease and suspicion' when interacting with social security agencies because of their experiences on the UK Government's systems – comparing this with the 'new more engaged human rights approach' of Social Security Scotland.
Somerville said it had been made clear to her how much this different approach was valued.
'I spoke to one gentleman when I was on a visit who was too frightened to come forward [to DWP] when his disability worsened because he thought he might get the money he had taken away from him,' Somerville told The National.
'We know of people that didn't come forward because they found that system inhumane and degrading and what we've done is demonstrated we have a system that is based on dignity, fairness and respect and you have people who now feel they can come forward for the first time.'
Asked how she felt about the welfare state in 2025, Somerville added the least society should expect from a government is that they are supported to get money they are entitled to.
'Every single one of us may need the support of a social security system at any point. The social security system is there for all of us and it's important we see that as a right and an investment in people and that has to be the core foundation of how we develop social security,' she said.
'If you're eligible, it is your right to get that benefit and it is our obligation to support you to get you what you're entitled to. That doesn't mean our system is soft-touch, but we go out of our way to make sure those people who are entitled to benefits get that money and they're supported to do so.
'That's the very least society should expect from their government.'