Scotland reporter

THE SNP-Green Scottish government published its policy paper on social security in an independent Scotland yesterday.

The paper — the ninth in a series commissioned by ministers and drafted by senior civil servants — speculates on the policies that may be pursued by a government sundered from Westminster.

Entitled Social Security in an Independent Scotland, the paper — a year in the making — guesses at how the social security system in Scotland may differ from the one presently run by both UK and Scottish governments.

The SNP-led government commits to spending £250 million to reform universal credit should it gain power in the hypothetical state.

But after an earlier paper on finance committed it to creating a Scottish pound “at the earliest opportunity,” it remains unclear whether this pledge is in Sterling.

The Scottish government also committed in theory to scrapping the two-child benefit cap, reforming benefit sanctions, and “going further and faster to improve support for unpaid carers.”

The policy document also suggests that a future government may wish to implement a “minimum income guarantee” across the whole population — beyond the policy which has covered pensioners for two decades.

It goes on to speculate that future governments could “build on this further should they wish, towards a universal basic income,” similar to the scheme already being piloted by the Welsh government among young people with experience of care.

Speaking at the paper’s launch in Govan, social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “With the powers of an independent nation, Scotland could do more to make our system fairer and move away from the UK government’s system of benefit freezes, caps and punishment.

“We could move away from the UK government’s system that offers inadequate levels of financial support and is pushing people into poverty.

“The best-performing independent countries comparable to Scotland demonstrate that a strong social safety net is a foundation of a dynamic, innovative and productive economy, rather than a barrier to it.”

STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “While the proposed measures are welcome, we need to see more action now, rather than simply waiting until Scotland potentially becomes independent. 

“The Scottish government currently has tax raising powers and devolved powers to create and top up existing benefits, it just takes political will to make it happen.”