SASW support open letter to Ian Duncan Smith by SFHA calling for suspension of roll-out of universal benefits

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SASW was a co-signatory to a letter by SFHA CEO Mary Taylor. The letter from SFHA (Scottish Federation of Housing Associations) calls for the immediate suspension of the Universal Credit roll-out in Scotland until after the process of legislating for further powers for Scotland is complete. This would ensure the Scotland-specific elements of Universal Credit recommended by the Smith Commission could be carefully planned and incorporated before the roll-out, to avoid unnecessary and costly bureaucratic chaos.

The correspondence was signed by the leaders of 57 civic organisations from across Scotland - ranging from business and finance to social care and foodbanks - and the Housing Associations that are due to be part of the next stage of the Universal Credit roll-out that is scheduled to start in February.

SASW’s submission to the Smith Commission focused on the impact of austerity and so-called welfare reform on the work of our members across Scotland - when assisting, supporting and protecting users of services.

Within our comments we have reminded Lord Smith of Kelvie of the 1968 Act and the, ”duty to promote social welfare on such a scale as may be necessary for their area,” that it lays upon local authorities.

However, the delivery of social work services is currently severely affected by the impoverishment of an increasingly high proportion of social work service users. This means that social workers have difficulty realising the potential of the 1968 Act because of the time and energy spent counteracting the impact of the UK-wide income maintenance and benefits system which is administered according to strict rules, often inflexibly applied.

Our members in Highland have already experienced the reality of welfare reform as part of a ‘pilot’ taking place in their area, where it raised ethical dilemmas.
‘Universal benefits’ refers to the main means tested benefits a person is eligible to receive being merged into a ‘one off’ payment. Some people can’t cope with the complexities of this, and there are so many; to name a few:

• applying online
• housing costs being paid as part of Universal Credit, not to the landlord
• difficult transitions if a claimant moves in and out of employment

Many vulnerable adults struggle to cope and budget for a month without the staggered payments - which were a safety net. Social workers have been faced with considering service users under the adults with incapacity (AWI) legislation in order to ensure their finances are monitored and basic needs can be met; whereas previously this may not have been necessary.