Minimum Income Guarantee: Experts by Experience Panel report

Principle five: a holistic system

The Minimum Income Guarantee should be delivered as part of a holistic system which considers a wide range of needs and the most appropriate support to meet them. This should focus on social security, fair work and universal services – working with the public, private and third sector in its delivery.

Rationale

This should be a nurturing system, where people feel they belong and are supported. This principle is about the importance of all the other systems and services that would interact with and deliver a Minimum Income Guarantee including housing, employment, mental health and education. It also includes the potential role for services as part of the way a Minimum Income Guarantee could be met.

Considerations

• Services need to be adequately funded to provide a holistic Minimum Income Guarantee.
• Consider parental leave as part of the holistic provision of a Minimum Income Guarantee, parents having choice and control about how they parent and that nurturing and supporting our children is key to creating a more fair and equal society.
• Acknowledging the limited power of the Scottish Government within welfare provision and risks of private sector profiteering, the Scottish Government should aim to maximise their powers to deliver the Minimum Income Guarantee.
• Within these services, employ qualified people, train them appropriately, and pay them fairly so that they can implement a holistic Minimum Income Guarantee.
• Considering how addiction and mental health services empower people to utilise Minimum Income Guarantee to support a healthier life.
• The holistic system should take account of context and potential challenges in the future. These could be environmental or societal, or come from within our government systems too, for example politicians who lack empathy.

Communications

• The 'branding' of social security carries negative connotations, Thatcherism, needs more positive messaging.
• Importance of communicating how by investing in a Minimum Income Guarantee now, we will be saving costs for services in the future. Honesty and transparency with the public about this is important.
• Communicating that Minimum Income Guarantee could allow more flexibility for households and childcare.
• Ensuring social security is explained and considered so as the Scottish Government cannot hide behind 'buzzwords'.

Support

29 members voted on the level of support for this principle.Overall supported by 92% of panel members of which:

• 76% (22 members) 'strongly support'
• 17% (5 members) 'support'
• 3% (one member) 'neutral'
• 3% (one member) 'strongly oppose'

Members were asked, "if you do not support principle five, please tell us what would be needed for you to support it". No members provided comments on how their support would be increased. As explained in the introduction, one member who disagrees with the idea of a Minimum Income Guarantee used this space to further emphasise their disagreement.