THE Church of Scotland will today launch a scathing attack on Iain Duncan Smith’s welfare reforms and urge the new Tory government to “stop using hunger as punishment”.
In a major speech, Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, convener of the Kirk’s church and society council, will call for the immediate suspension of benefit sanctions for vulnerable claimants and demand the UK Government carries out a review of the controversial measures.
She will also make a case for an urgent reform of the tax system as concerns grow about the number of Scots suffering benefit sanctions, low wages and increasing dependence on foodbanks.
Speaking to The National ahead of her address to the Church’s General Assembly in Edinburgh, she said: “Our current tax system is not working. It does nothing to narrow inequality, in fact we are seeing inequality growing.
“We are asking for a complete review of our tax system. We are seeking a complete overhaul, along with a willingness to think imaginatively about how we can reduce inequality and poverty in our country.
“We are calling for a national conversation where all of our political parties and wider
Scotland develop proposals for a tax system that benefits the poorest in our society rather than the richest.
“The current regime of sanctions is wrong. It is not helping to get people into work and it is punishing the most vulnerable. We’re calling for a review of the current sanctions regime and the immediate cessation of sanctions for those who suffer from mental illness and those with children.”
Foster-Fulton is also expected to drive home the need to end unhelpful rhetoric which derides those living on the breadline.
“We are challenging the stigma of poverty, confronting the dangerous rhetoric that blames the poor for their poverty, dismissing them as strivers and skivers, enjoying a benefits lifestyle.
Rubbish!” she will say.
“These unfair definitions divide and diminish us all and pit us one against the other. We become suspicious rather than supportive. We need justice, not judgment.”
Foster-Fulton is the latest church leader to condemn the
Tories’ welfare policies.
A report by the Church of
England in June 2013 accused ministers of acting as if they were deliberately trying to “destabilise” society.
The move came shortly after a bitter confrontation between the UK government and Church of England when 43 bishops, backed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, wrote to The Sunday Telegraph voicing concern over welfare reform.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, emphasised that a “civilised society” had a duty to support the poor and vulnerable, especially during tough times.
Foster-Fulton’s comments were last night welcomed by John
Dickie, director of Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, and the SNP, which has been campaigning to have more welfare powers come under the control of Holyrood.
Dickie said: “The Kirk is absolutely right to speak out against the arbitrary and inappropriate benefit sanctions families with children are suffering – too often sanctions applied as a result of DWP error or lack of discretion. Far too many parents are being left without money to provide the basics for their children – undermining children’s wellbeing and putting their health at risk.”
SNP MSP Clare Adamson added: “UK Government cuts and benefit sanctions are having a devastating impact on communities across Scotland – pushing 100,000 more of our children into poverty and forcing more families to have to rely on foodbanks.
“There needs to be a root-and-branch review of the sanctioning policy – and the DWP should not be allowed to impose any more unfair sanctions on vulnerable people while the review is ongoing.
“The Tories simply cannot be trusted to make decisions over welfare on Scotland’s behalf. This is exactly why the Scottish Parliament needs full powers over welfare to support and empower people – rather than pushing them into poverty.”
Official UK Government figures published in February revealed that more than 80,000 out-of-work Scots had their benefits stopped for a minimum of four weeks since the new sanctions regime was introduced just over two years ago under the previous Coalition’s Welfare Reform Act.
Payments were suspended after claimants failed to conform to strict rules including being late or missing a Jobcentre or work programme appointment or failing to complete a required number of job applications.
Campaigners and opposition politicians are also fearful a new wave of £12 billion welfare cuts being proposed by the new Tory government will push more people into more poverty.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said:
“We make every attempt to support vulnerable claimants who aren’t fulfilling their commitments so they don’t face a sanction. In addition, claimants who are sanctioned and have children receive hardship payments straight away.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here