Dignity for Disabled People

Supporting the Most Vulnerable

The SNP Scottish Government has always prioritised fairness for the most vulnerable in our society, and that includes people living with disabilities. The SNP has been committed to ensuring that disabled people are properly supported to get on with their lives, without constant fear of being thrown off essential benefits and left destitute.

This has been central to the mission of the devolved welfare system under the SNP, Social Security Scotland, which is not delivering Child, Adult and Pension Age Disability Payments. Under SSS, the widespread use of DWP-style sanctions are not imposed as there is clear and overwhelming evidence that they simply do not work.

Last year also saw the publication of the Disability Equality Plan, developed in co-production with three core funded Disabled People’s Organisations.

The plan reflects a government-wide commitment to ensure that the voices and experiences of disabled people meaningfully considered from the outset of policy making.

What’s more, families of almost 45,000 disabled children and young people received winter heating support last year as Scotland’s unique benefit marked its fifth anniversary, while the Independent Living Fund Scotland marked its 10th with over 1,000 new applicants. The latter empowers disabled people to take part in hobbies and leisure activities, undertake work or education and participate fully in their communities.

Additionally, specialist services to help disabled people find and remain in suitable work have now been expanded to cover the whole of Scotland.  And around 150 additional community toilet facilities for people with complex disabilities and health conditions are being created across the country thanks to £10 million Scottish Government funding over two years.

The SNP can confidently reassure disabled people that the Disability Equality Plan will be fully implemented. Scotland should be a place where everybody is enabled to participate in society, access their rights, take advantage of opportunities, and thrive in their communities, and the SNP is wholly committed to realising that ambition.

This was further reflected in the holding of the first annual joint meeting between Cabinet and disabled people at the start of February. The two-hour meeting - co-chaired by First Minister John Swinney alongside the CEOs of Glasgow Disability Alliance, Inclusion Scotland and Disability Equality Scotland - was designed to bring disabled people’s voices, expertise and lived experience directly to the Cabinet table.