Scottish Government Debate: Building a New Scotland - Social Security in an Independent Scotland

Shirley-Anne Somerville S6M-12203 That the Parliament welcomes the Scottish Government's paper, Building a New Scotland: Social security in an independent Scotland; agrees that the people of Scotland would be best served by a social security system that embeds dignity, fairness and respect and provides a safety net for all as part of a strong wellbeing economy; notes progress made with Scotland’s unique social security benefits, including five family payments, with modelling estimating that 90,000 fewer children will live in relative and absolute poverty in 2023-24 as a result of Scottish Government policies, with poverty levels 9% lower than they would have otherwise been, but recognises that only independence provides the full range of powers that would enable Scotland to provide the social security that the people of Scotland deserve. Jeremy Balfour S6M-12203.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-12203 in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville (Building a New Scotland - Social Security in an Independent Scotland), leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert "regrets that the Scottish Government continues to miss its targets for delivering the transfer of benefits to Social Security Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to focus on the real priorities of the people of Scotland rather than obsessing over the constitution." Paul O'Kane S6M-12203.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-12203 in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville (Building a New Scotland - Social Security in an Independent Scotland), leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert "acknowledges that the people of Scotland would be best served by a social security system that embeds dignity, fairness and respect and provides a safety net for all in a strong and growing economy; notes Scotland’s devolved social security benefits; acknowledges that delays in processing adult and child disability assessments have left disabled people stuck in limbo and out of pocket during the worst cost of living crisis in decades; notes that the Scottish Government’s decision to cut affordable housing budgets by 27% in the face of a housing emergency has been labelled as baffling by organisations like the Joseph Rowntree Foundation; acknowledges that cutting vital funding for affordable housing and employability schemes harms the eradication of the causes of poverty; notes that between 2017 and 2021, 12% of people have remained in persistent poverty after housing costs, and recognises that the paper, Building a New Scotland: Social security in an independent Scotland, is the latest in a series of theoretical future plans by the Scottish Government, which has already been too distracted to focus on the here and now and make the devolution of social security work for the people of Scotland."