Should welfare be devolved?

Posted in Blog | Aug 30, 2012 | By: Victoria Winckler

Pic courtesy Welsh Tenants Federation

Massive changes are underway to the UK’s social security system, affecting not only hundreds of thousands of people in Wales who receive a working-age benefit such as Job Seekers’ Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Disability Allowance, but there are also changes affecting Child Benefit and State Pensions. There can be few people who will unaffected by these changes, if not now then in the future.

The Welsh Government and many other organisations and individuals are deeply concerned about the impact of changes to the social security system on the people of Wales, but to date there have been no calls for some or all of the social security system to be devolved. Contrast this with Scotland, where there are growing demands from a wide range of organisations for responsibility some benefits to be transferred to the Scottish government.

Could it happen here? SHOULD it happen here?

These are questions that the Bevan Foundation is considering as its contribution to the Institute of Welsh Affairs ‘Changing Union’ project. And if legislative and / or executive powers for social security benefits were transferred to Wales, is there sufficient capacity within the Welsh Government and civil society?  

And the crunch question – how would more than £8 billion of additional expenditure be funded?

We are keen to collect the views of a wide range of individuals and organisations to inform our submission to the project.  We need your input by noon on 10th September via our online survey which can be accessed here - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/waleswelfare.  Alternatively GENERAL comments can be left on the blog.

Thanks in anticipation of your help.