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Welfare Reform Committee 27 January 2015

27 Jan 2015 · S4 · Welfare Reform Committee

Item of business

Welfare Funds (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

McDougall, Margaret Lab West Scotland Watch on SPTV

I will move both the amendments in my name. Amendment 24 would insert, under the heading “General principles”, the following provision: “In exercising its functions under sections 1 to 4 in respect of an applicant for assistance in pursuance of section 2, a local authority must take reasonable steps to facilitate the following principles— (a) that the right to dignity of the applicant is to be respected, (b) that the particular needs and choices of the applicant are to be considered.” The amendment ensures that, while “exercising its functions under sections 1 to 4 in respect of an applicant for assistance in pursuance of section 2,” a local authority must take all reasonable steps to ensure that respect for and the dignity of the applicant are taken into account, and that the needs and choices of the applicant are considered. That principle is supported by organisations such as the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the Scottish campaign on welfare reform, the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office, Engender and the Poverty Alliance, which, like me, believe that dignity and respect should be the cornerstone of our approach to welfare. It is crucial that we embed the principles of dignity and compassion in the proposed legislation at this stage. Furthermore, in chapter 4 of the Scottish Government’s document “Scotland’s Future”, there are numerous references to welfare and dignity, such as: “the benefits system should be fair, transparent and sympathetic to the challenges faced by people receiving them, respecting personal dignity, equality and human rights”. Paragraph (b) in the proposed new section relates to that point, as it means that the applicant would have a degree of choice in the matter. I have spoken to some people about the issue, and I am sure that many others around the table will have heard about the experiences of constituents. Under the old system, someone could be provided with an item such as a cooker that did not fit into their kitchen or a washing machine that did not suit them, as they had disabilities and could not operate it. If they had a degree of choice and were able to go and buy an item that suited their needs, that would allow them an option. The bottom line is that we are dealing with vulnerable people and people who have fallen on hard times. To uphold their dignity and respect, we must also uphold the choice and the needs of the individual. One size does not fit all when it comes to welfare. Given the wide range of organisations that want dignity to be enshrined in the welfare system and the fact that the Scottish Government’s own document highlights dignity and respect in the welfare system as a key tenet, I think that it is reasonable and responsible to include the principles at the front of the bill. There has already been an example: in the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013, the general principles are on page 1. That was amendment 24, which I move. On amendment—

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Welfare Reform Committee 27 January 2015

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