Credit failings

The “fundamental inadequacy” of the Universal Credit welfare regime has been exposed by the coronavirus pandemic, with concerns that it is now “pulling people into poverty”, writes Scott Macnab.

However much you throw to these people, it will never be enough. They are poor because they made it that way, nobody else. Apart from the infirm and the disabled who cannot work, no one should be paid for not working, there are jobs all over Scotland that need workers. Though the idle seem to regard these as beneath their aspirations, there is still no need to reward laziness.

Dan Romin

When they were trying to reorganise the system it was said that people should get no more than £20,000 a year on benefits. Of course that is correct as many workers do not earn that. Let the system start fully. Make work pay.

Ask what is poverty?

Grumpy

And the only suggestion for replacing it from the SNP has been Universal Basic Income which has been shown to leave the needy even more so.

Calum the Mackenzie

UC is a truly excellent and very sensible idea. However, it has been very badly implemented as regards about 5 per cent of the needy. Present conditions are further delaying sorting out this last section of its target population. And of course it would help if there were no time and staff-wasting fraudulent applications. It is absolutely right that work should always pay better than benefits.

Andrew Macaulay