THE UK Government “could trample all over” the “hard work” of Social Security Scotland with its plans to cut disability benefits, an expert has told The National.
Ciara Fitzpatrick, a researcher and lecturer at Ulster University’s Social Justice Institute, has criticised the “unholy mess” the UK Government has created for devolved nations’ benefit systems despite a rush of last-minute changes to its welfare bill.
The Prime Minister was forced to abandon the central plank of his welfare bill last week – cuts to the Personal Independence Payment – to avert the threat of a potentially devastating rebellion.
Previously proposed changes to PIP eligibility will now not be introduced until a review into the benefit has concluded in November next year.
However, Scots will still be affected by cuts to the reserved Universal Credit (UC) health element which are still be actioned, while the U-turn on the bill is likely to have a knock-on effect on rumoured plans of Labour looking to remove the two-child benefit cap, meaning the Scottish Government would have to see through pricey plans to mitigate this policy.
There are also uncertainties ahead about how Scots will prove their eligibility for the UC health element. The UK Government is planning on using the PIP assessment going forward to determine eligibility for this, but has so far given no indication of whether the assessment criteria for the devolved Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in Scotland will be accepted.
And she said she fears the “more humane and dignified” social security system set up in Scotland over recent years will be “trampled” on by difficulties the UK Government is creating.
“We know that they are planning to get rid of the Work Capability Assessment which means that people will be followed through the PIP assessment in order to have eligibility for the UC health element,” Fitzpatrick said.
“But, of course we have Adult Disability Payment, which is devolved in Scotland, Universal Credit is not, so what happens there?”
She went on: “We’ve had some really interesting discussions with people from England, Scotland, Wales and Norten Ireland and something that is very clearly coming out from those is that the ADP is a much more humane, dignified process,” she told The National.
“One participant called it a breath of fresh air.
“So I think that the Scottish Government have worked in good faith, have worked really hard to create a social security benefit that really speaks to their aims of dignity and respect in the Social Security Scotland Act and it looks like the British government could come in and trample all over this process by throwing so many difficulties in the way.”
MPs will continue to scrutinise the welfare bill when it returns to the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The doubt that is now surrounding the dropping of the two-child cap – something it is believed Labour were planning to do come the autumn based on projected savings from benefit cuts – will cause the Scottish Government “headaches” in the years to come as ministers attempt to fund a pledged mitigation payment, Fitzpatrick said.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told The National last month 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”.
The Scottish Government has said the two-child cap will effectively be abolished in Scotland by March next year.
Fitzpatrick said: “It’s going to cause the Scottish Government a lot of headaches in the next couple of years in respect of trying to shore this up.
“I’m sure there were some in the Scottish Government that were really hoping that Rachel Reeves would announce they will get rid of the two-child limit in the autumn statement. That has now been thrown into doubt.
“This is going to have massive implications for Scotland because they’re now going to have to foot the bill. Where are they going to find the £198m they need by 2029/2030?
“It’s an unholy mess.”
The Scottish Government have been approached for comment.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are changing the broken social security system we inherited so it helps people in Scotland and across the country to live with dignity, genuinely supporting those who can work into employment, and ensuring the safety net will always be there for the most vulnerable.
“We are committed to scrapping the Work Capability Assessment, which has locked sick or disabled people out of work for too long, and will continue to work with the Scottish Government on implementing access to the new Universal Credit health element in Scotland.”
Somerville said: “Despite the panicked, last-minute concessions it has made, if the UK Government presses ahead with cuts to disability support they will plunge more people into poverty and this will impact on funding for Scotland.
“Their approach is completely at odds with our approach to providing social security in Scotland, which seeks to protect and enhance the support available ensuring as many people as possible get the help they are entitled to and we will not be making changes to support for disabled people.
“We are also appalled that the child cap, and its associated rape clause is still in place impacting thousands of children in poverty which is why we have announced we will launch the Two Child Limit Payment on March 2, 2026."
