Impact of Liz Kendall’s Proposed Welfare Cuts in Scotland

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Hi,

Due to my own M.E. and other personal issues this week, I have just resorted to asking AI how disabled people in Scotland will be impacted by the proposed welfare cuts by the Government in Westminster. I had previously seen people who live in Scotland saying they won’t be impacted so I was surprised to find out today that is not the case.  Some MSPs have incorrectly said it’s not an issue that Scotland, as a devolved nation, needs to be concerned with so it’s not surprising that members of the public aren’t aware! Though to give MSPs the benefit of the doubt, the AI explanation shows how complex the benefits system is in Scotland so maybe it’s not surprising that they don’t understand the complexities!

This is what Gemini (AI) said when I asked the question – ‘Do the welfare cuts proposed by Liz Kendall impact people living in Scotland?’

Yes, the welfare cuts proposed by Liz Kendall, as the UK Work and Pensions Secretary, are expected to impact people living in Scotland, although the exact mechanisms are complex due to devolved powers.1

Here’s a breakdown of how:

  • Reserved vs. Devolved Benefits: While some aspects of welfare are devolved to the Scottish Government (like Adult Disability Payment, which replaced Personal Independence Payment or PIP in Scotland), other major benefits like Universal Credit remain reserved to the UK Parliament and administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).2 Changes to reserved benefits directly affect claimants in Scotland.
  • Impact on Block Grant: Even for devolved benefits, the Scottish Government’s block grant (the funding it receives from the UK Treasury) is often adjusted based on projected welfare spending in England and Wales.3 Therefore, if the UK government implements cuts that reduce spending on benefits like PIP in England, it can lead to a reduction in the money transferred to the Scottish budget.4 This then puts pressure on the Scottish Government to either tighten its own eligibility criteria for devolved benefits (like Adult Disability Payment) or find additional funding from elsewhere in its budget to maintain current levels of support.5

  • Specific Proposals and Scottish Impact:

    • Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Liz Kendall’s proposals include tightening eligibility criteria for PIP and potentially increasing reassessments.6 While Scotland has its own Adult Disability Payment (ADP) with different processes, changes to PIP in the rest of the UK could impact the Scottish budget allocation, forcing the Scottish Government to make difficult choices.7
    • Universal Credit (UC): Proposed changes to UC, including a reduction in the health-related element for new claimants and a freeze for existing ones, will directly affect UC claimants in Scotland as UC is a reserved benefit.
    • Work Capability Assessment (WCA): The plan to scrap the WCA will also affect claimants in Scotland, as this assessment currently determines eligibility for incapacity benefits under Universal Credit.

  • Concerns from the Scottish Government: The Scottish Government has consistently expressed strong concerns about the impact of these proposed welfare cuts, arguing they will push more people, including children, into poverty.8 The Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has urged the UK government to reconsider, highlighting the potential “devastating” impact on disabled people and the undermining of efforts to end child poverty in Scotland.9

In summary, while Scotland has some autonomy over its welfare system, the UK government’s welfare reforms can still have significant direct and indirect impacts on people living in Scotland, particularly through changes to reserved benefits and the potential knock-on effects on the Scottish budget.10

The sources quoted in this AI answer can be found at the bottom of this blog. AI is not infallible so please double-check these results for yourself if this is an issue that impacts you.

Why am I posting about this? Because people living in Scotland should also be putting pressure on their politicians to either vote against these cuts OR pressure the Westminster Government into another U-turn. It’s all hands on deck at the moment and every politician counts in the fight back. I have used AI because there are strong rumours that the welfare cuts will be voted on within the next month and we need as many emails to be sent to MPs as possible ASAP (can’t wait for my M.E. to improve so I can explain this in my own words!).

Sally