Thread by @kaukabstewart

I saw the article in today's @Daily_Record about our new custom built social security system. I also note politicians lining up to rubbish the system and to mislead people about what it is delivering right now for people throughout Scotland... 1/8

The Scottish government is developing a brand new, bespoke system to administer and deliver social security payments to people in Scotland. It has been designed and developed with fairness, dignity, and respect as its way of working. It is very accessible. 2/8

@SocSecScot has taken advice from people with experience of claiming benefits in order to ensure our system operates very differently, so people are not put off from making a claim. Claims are assessed in-house rigorously, but also with compassion and appropriate expertise. 3/8

Developing such a massive and complex system is a highly expensive undertaking. Costings are entirely transparent. You can see where the money is being spent, and what we are getting for it. 4/8

@SocSecScot currently delivers 12 benefits efficiently and compassionately, including the Scottish Child Payment – currently £20 a week for each child under 6. This will rise to £25 a week and include all children up to the age of 16 before the end of the year. 5/8

It is hard to over emphasise the value of this policy alone in this cost of living crisis. Other important benefits being distributed by @SocSecScot right now include the Adult Disability Payment, Young Carer Grant, and Funeral Support Grant. 6/8

In the Record’s story today, Labour, Tory and Lib Dem politicians line up to belittle the success of this massive project designed and developed with fairness, dignity and respect as its guiding principles. They describe it as an ‘expensive disaster’. Shame on them. 7/8

It is not a disaster. It is delivering benefits effectively with respect and dignity. And it is building capacity to deliver all benefits when Scotland becomes independent. We should be proud of how it is being developed and how it is working. 8/8