THE UK Government’s obsession with an austerity agenda alongside cuts to benefits has made life difficult for hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland.

It is an utter disgrace that one in ten Scots live in severe poverty. It means ten per cent of households are having to manage on an income of less than £11,500 – half the UK average.

After housing costs have been taken into account, current changes to benefits are already threatening to push 100,000 additional children into poverty in Scotland by the year 2020.

I am deeply concerned about the effect of the further £12billion benefit cuts the UK Government has promised and I’m worried that there is still no clarity on where – and on whom – the axe will fall. After all, the UK Government’s record isn’t good with most of their cuts falling squarely on women and the disabled.

The Prime Minister’s speech yesterday made it clear that he is looking for a high wage, low tax, low welfare economy.

Yet the Prime Minister has not outlined how he will do this. Will he increase the minimum wage? Start backing the Living Wage? Will he chase the corporate tax dodgers to pay their fair share of tax? We haven’t heard anything about that, yet rumours continue to fly that his Government plan to cut tax credits from the poorest working families.

The Scottish Government recognises any serious attempt to tackle inequality has to focus on in-work poverty. It’s a major reason why the Scottish Government was the first fully accredited Living Wage government.

We are clear that if you want to reduce benefit payments and support people into work you do it by tackling low pay, creating jobs and removing barriers, such as providing free childcare. You don’t do it by removing money and making it more difficult for people to feed themselves and their families.

For the past five years organisations have been lining up to tell us about the damaging effect of welfare changes on the people of Scotland and we have seen report after report highlighting the distress and desperation caused. We urgently need clarification on where the planned £12billion benefit cuts will fall and the UK Government has to explain how their cuts will impact on the Scottish Government’s new social security powers.

For example, we know Personal Independence Payments to disabled people will be devolved, but we also know the UK Government plans to slash these by 20 per cent – a move we have strongly argued against.

If the UK Government is continuing to axe its welfare budget we need to know if this will affect benefits that are to be devolved. This would be wholly unacceptable.

Last Friday I launched a national discussion on a Fairer Scotland. I want to hear people’s views on how to create an even better and more prosperous country.

What would you change to help Scotland become more fair? And how would you change it? These are the things we have to think about and putting them into action will mean challenging deep rooted issues and avoiding quick fixes or temporary measures. It will mean taking on board what you have to say, and doing something with that information. And so we need your ideas, your views and your thoughts on what a fair and equal Scotland should look like in the years to come. Compare this to what the UK Government is planning and it’s clear who is on the side of Scotland.