It cannot be said too many times that there is no shame in claiming benefits.
The welfare state was created to protect people living through tough times and to offer older generations a dignified retirement.
It is paid for by all of us and, as a result, we have a duty to keep this safety net well-mended.
The vast majority of us will claim some form of benefit at one stage of our lives.
Yet the current system has become an unforgiving bureaucratic nightmare for too many.
More than 10 years of Conservative rule has caused misery for thousands.
Westminster retains the majority of social security powers.
It created Universal Credit despite repeated warnings of the mess it would cause.
Now we learn the Department for Work and Pensions is clawing back millions from households across Scotland which rely on the benefit.
In one month alone last year, 180,000 households in Scotland had an average of £60 deducted from social security payments.
The cash usually covers the five-week waiting period for new UC claimants and is then clawed back.
That’s money families could have used to a pay a heating bill or put food on the table for their children.
The UK Government claims it tries to balance recovery of debt against not causing hardship. But the queues at food banks tell a very different story.
The reality is Tory ministers will not stop trying to find new ways of making life harder for those who rely on benefits.
Save our libraries
Libraries are much more than rooms full of books.
They offer power to people to transform their lives through learning.
Andrew Carnegie gave a sizable chunk of his fortune to open libraries around
the world.
He believed people should be able to educate themselves regardless of cost.
So it’s tragic to learn that dozens of libraries have closed across Scotland over the last decade.
It’s no secret that local authorities are struggling to deliver the kinds of services we once took for granted.
Too often, it’s cultural facilities that are first in the firing line. But libraries still have a place in the smartphone era.
They are community hubs and sanctuaries for people who – for whatever reason – can’t find peace and quiet at home.
Nicola Sturgeon is famous for her love of books.
The First Minister and her government must do all they can to protect libraries for future generations.
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