I have highlighted the immoral actions of the UK Government in a motion in the Scottish Parliament following reports that UK Ministers have been deliberately attempting to hide the impact of wide-ranging welfare reforms by concealing a range of official reports into benefits.
The actions of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions should be widely condemned after her refusal to publish reports and research on the benefit cap, deaths of benefits claimants, the impact of Universal Credit and benefit sanctions, as well as two further reports on unpaid carers and work capability assessments.
Poverty is growing across the country and poorly designed welfare reforms are quite simply exacerbating that. The negative impacts of UK Government welfare reforms are obvious when you listen to anyone affected and I assume that the reports and research confirm this – which is why the Tories are hiding these reports from the public.
The cost-of-living crisis is plunging millions more into energy poverty with new research suggesting up to two-thirds of families could be in fuel poverty by January. The impact of this along with poor welfare provision is going to be catastrophic. Already around 1.3 million children affected by the UK Government benefit cap have parents who struggle to buy basics such as food and nappies and this is before the latest energy cost rises.
The government must take action immediately – it’s silence in the face of this crisis is deafening. Much needed support needs to be expanded and the DWP need to stop operating behind a wall of secrecy and publish all reports and research on welfare reforms in the wider public interest, as well as specifically in the interest of those who are impacted by these government policies. A failure to do so is not only harmful, it is immoral.
Copy of motion raised in Scottish Parliament below:
Motion Number: S6M-05693
Lodged By: Alex Rowley
Date Lodged: 16/08/2022
Title: UK Government and Reports into Welfare Reform
Motion Text: That the Parliament is deeply concerned by reports that UK Government ministers have been deliberately attempting to hide the impact of the government’s wide-ranging welfare reforms by concealing a range of official reports into benefits; condemns the reported actions of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in refusing to publish reports and research on the benefit cap, deaths of benefits claimants, the impact of Universal Credit and benefit sanctions, as well as two further reports on unpaid carers and work capability assessments; is troubled by any proposal that would see a reduction in the benefit cap, in light of reports that around 1.3 million children in the cap already have parents who struggle to buy basics such as food or nappies; calls on the UK Government to publish the report into this evaluation before any policy is enacted; further calls on the UK Government to publish the reports on deaths of benefits claimants, in light of the widely reported incidences of benefits claimants dying after having benefits cut off; calls for the publication of Cabinet Office research into the effectiveness of support for vulnerable claimants of Universal Credit, as well as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) report into the impact of benefits sanctions in persuading people into work and the monthly reports on how accessible the DWP websites and apps are; is disappointed that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has also reportedly said that the DWP has not decided whether it will publish experiences of claiming and receiving Carer’s Allowance, and calls for this data to be published as well; further calls for the statistics on work capability assessments for Universal Credit to be published, particularly given that, it understands, statistics on previous benefits such as PIP are published, and believes that the DWP must immediately stop operating behind what it sees as a wall of secrecy and publish all reports and research on these areas in the wider public interest, as well as specifically in the interest of those who are impacted by these government policies.
