The devolution of social security benefits in Scotland: the Smith Commission.

Spicker, Paul

Abstract

The United Kingdom is a unitary state, and social security benefits are some of the most centralised services in it. The powers of the Scottish Parliament in relation to benefits have been heavily restricted, to the point where they have fewer formal powers than an English local authority. Despite that, the Scottish Government has sought to use the limited authority it does have to mitigate the effect of UK welfare reforms. Following the independence referendum campaign, and the commitment of all UK parties to devolve greater powers, various options for devolution have been discussed, including powers over particular benefits. There are financial and administrative constraints to overcome, and potential problems wherever benefits interact with each other. The Smith Commission has recommended limited devolution, including a range of benefits relating to disability and elements of housing support, along with a power to create new benefits. This has to be done within a firmly hierarchical structure of authority, and there is scope for conflict as the detailed terms are negotiated and clarified.

Citation

SPICKER, P. 2015. The devolution of social security benefits in Scotland: the Smith Commission. Journal of poverty and social justice [online], 23(1), pages 17-28. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1332/175982715X14226074788880

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 1, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Feb 1, 2015
• Publication Date: Feb 28, 2015
• Deposit Date: Sep 15, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 15, 2016
• Journal: Journal of poverty and social justice
• Print ISSN: 1759-8273
• Electronic ISSN: 1759-8281
• Publisher: Policy Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 17-28
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1332/175982715X14226074788880
• Keywords: Benefits; Devolution; Scotland
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1709