HOUSING and welfare minister Margaret Burgess revealed that more women could be pushed into poverty as a result of the UK Government’s £12 billion benefit cuts.
She said women were twice as dependent on social security than men and they will be disproportionately affected by social security reforms
Burgess expressed fears that the Tories’ emergency budget would deepen the gender inequalities which were highlighted in the findings of the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee’s Women and Social Security report.
The report backed Scottish Government recommendations on payment flexibilities under Universal Credit and it also stressed the need for gender impacts to be factored into any policy decisions.
To coincide with the report, Burgess will meet women at One Parent Families Scotland in Glasgow today where she will hear their views on how the government can create a fairer Scotland.
It comes on the same day as Barnardo’s Scotland and the Scottish Government joined forces to call a halt to proposed cuts.
Burgess said: “It is alarming to see that women have been disproportionately affected by the UK Government’s benefits cuts and are twice as dependent on social security than men. I am deeply concerned that the UK Government’s £12bn cuts will only widen this gap.
“With our new powers we will create a fairer and simpler social security system that aims to tackle gender and other inequalities. However, we need to know how the UK Government’s cost cutting will affect benefits that are to be devolved.
“Organisations like One Parent Families Scotland and Barnardo’s Scotland see the effects of social security changes on the groups the report highlights as being particularly vulnerable, on a day to day basis, and are rightly concerned about the devastating impact further cuts could have on children.
“We welcome the committee’s recommendations over Universal Credit and sanctions, and we will continue to do all we can to break down the barriers that prevent women from entering into work. Over the next few months we’ll be listening to the people affected by the UK Government’s welfare changes and cuts and will be making sure we get the views of women on how we can create a system that suits their needs.
“Despite challenges from the UK Government we are tackling poverty head on.
“Our new Independent Adviser on Poverty and Inequality will be looking at what more we can do to lift people out of poverty. We have invested £296m in welfare mitigation measures, extended our childcare and are encouraging employers to pay the Living Wage.”
At the end of April, The National published exclusive details of a hard-hitting report entitled A Widening Gap: Women and Welfare Reform, highlighting the “grotesquely disproportionate impact” that welfare reform is having on women, which was compiled by campaigners Engender, Close the Gap, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Scottish Refugee Council and Scottish Women’s Aid.
It showed how women are bearing the brunt of welfare changes with 85 per cent of the cuts hitting women’s incomes, a move to Universal Credit, economic inequality and unpaid care work.
The groups fighting gender inequality insist that while social security is reserved to Westminster, further devolution of some powers over welfare to the Scottish Parliament offers an opportunity to reduce the damaging impact of welfare reforms on women in Scotland.
They acknowledge that responsibility for the impact on women lies with the UK Government, campaigners are calling for urgent targeted action to redress the policies that put women in Scotland at risk.
The report urged the Scottish Government to implement 10 recommendations including developing a clear action plan linked to devolved policy.
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