Thread by @SalWitcher

Yesterday was my last day as @TheSCoSS Chair. Public appointees are rightly constrained in what they can say publicly. Now I'm not, there’s a lot I want to say on a lot of things! Thought I’d start with a wee🧵on personal reflections on my time with SCoSS & things to look out for

It’s been an extraordinary time since @TheSCoSS opened for business early 2019. Scottish social security barely existed except on paper. It’s sprung to life & learnt to walk, last week taking its biggest step yet with Adult Disability Payment replacing PIP.

It’s been an honour to play a part in creating a new Scottish system based on dignity, fairness & respect – qualities regrettably absent from social security elsewhere - & a rare joy to work on something with real scope to have a meaningful positive impact on people’s lives.

We’ve scrutinised loads of draft regulations, ensuring they conform to human rights & the principles in the Social Security Act 2018, also highlighting where expectations in the Charter apply. It helps embed them into action, so they’re not just warm words of good intent.

Personally I think the excellent social security principles should apply to all public services, and the way @TheSCoSS brings external expertise right into the very heart of the formal legislative process could have wider application.

So too could a Charter like 'Our Charter', co-designed by people with lived experience of the service, who then co-designed a monitoring framework, where current recipients inform annual performance reports to Parliament, & a body like @TheSCoSS provides additional assurance.

The way people with lived experience have been built into the foundations & every subsequent brick of the Scottish social security edifice – not just informing its design but monitoring impact - is crucial. Because if is doesn’t work for them, what’s it all for?

But (big but) - can Scottish social security solve poverty? No! I’m afraid not. @TheSCoSS has had to confront the place where aspiration meets reality. There’s no point making recommendations you know can’t be delivered. For me that was sometimes a very bitter pill to swallow.

Constraints come in many forms, many (not all) emanating from what the UK Govt does/ doesn’t do/ might do. If Scottish Govt makes devolved provision more generous, they have to find the money. If UK Govt cuts social security benefits down south, that’s less £s for Scotland.

Some Scottish benefits act as passports for UK Govt provision (like additions to Universal Credit) – so long as the UK Govt continues to accept they do. If they don’t, at worst, more generous Scottish benefit could mean loss of UK benefit, leaving people worse off overall.

Some Scottish benefits, eg Scottish Child Payment, act as top-ups to UK benefit. So that means Scottish Govt has to depend on DWP for timely information on entitlement – not just at the start but ongoing. It means all the IT systems need to be able to speak to each other. Aargh!

Setting up a new system is a frustratingly slow process. The UK Govt has provided Scotland with ample examples for years of what happens when you try to make big change too fast. Guess what – it’s the recipients who pay the price for the resulting shambles (see my 1992 article👇)

There’s never a dull moment trying to get a new devolved system to join up with super-complex ever-changing UK system, with no loose ends left dangling, no unforeseen consequences & no opportunities missed to find pathways to improvement through the labyrinth. They can exist!

Look at ADP. It should be a much easier, pleasanter process to apply (nb PIP recipients don’t need to apply). Face-to-face assessments will only be a last resort, no profit-driven private sector involvement, access to independent advocacy – and don’t forget the Charter.

People diagnosed with a terminal illness, regardless of life expectancy, can be fast-tracked to getting the maximum amount of both components. But otherwise the descriptors remain as with PIP. So too does the amount you get. At least for now.

There's to be a review of ADP next year. Constraints will still apply, who knows what money will be available, & there could be changes down south that might have an unavoidable impact. But if there's real scope to improve ADP it needs to be found.

Watch out for a UK Govt White paper, following a Green paper & consultation. This included ideas on redesigning the system, looking at Universal Credit (UK benefit) & PIP (devolved - now ADP). One idea floated was “in the future, we could look to create a new single benefit”(297)

Look out too for the 5-year review of the Social Security Charter. @TheSCoSS must be consulted. Meanwhile, SCoSS must report if it gets evidence of expectations frequently not being met. The Charter is a useful tool. As I may have mentioned! socialsecurity.gov.scot/about/our-char….

There’s a consultation exercise happening right now, until 27 Oct, on the future for independent advice & scrutiny, among other things, which may bring changes for @TheSCoSS.
gov.scot/publications/s…

And take a look at @TheSCoSS’s business plan for 2022-23 – published yesterday and available on it’s recently launched independent website, where you’ll find all our reports and lots of other stuff you just know you can't wait to read😊

Finally watch out for adverts for a new Chair and 2 new Board members. While not always a cushy number(!) these are real opportunities to contribute skills, knowledge & experience (including lived) to a key area of policy with scope to make a positive difference to people’s lives

Positive difference is much-needed! We're living in incredibly difficult times: a cost-of-living catastrophe, an ongoing pandemic & massive inequality. We can give up, or we can fight back, using every ounce of determination, skill & creativity, & every tool we can make or find

It was a very tough decision to resign from @TheSCoSS – still much to do & many opportunities. I won't stop doing what I can to support the goals of Scottish social security. But I want to explore other ways to work for a safe #InclusiveNewNormal rooted in #RealRights.

I wish every success to the new Chair & Board, @BenMacpherson, the @SP_SJSS Committee that plays such a key role, all at @SocSecScot, all the hard-working officials & everyone who contributes to forging a much-needed system based on dignity, fairness & respect.