It update needed

ONE of the best things to come out of the independence referendum was the devolution of parts of the social security system.

More than 10 benefits once under the control of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are now the responsibility of the agency set up by Holyrood.

Decisions made by the Scottish Parliament have been more humane and the nastiness exhibited by the Tory Government is on the wane.

The creation of the £20-a-week Scottish Child Payment was also a hugely positive move.

However, this stage of devolution has also been dogged by problems.

Transferring parts of social security is a mammoth task, involving data sharing and the creation of new IT systems.

It is unacceptable the IT side of the scheme has still not been completed six years after legislation was passed.

Social security is a vital aspect of people’s lives and payments cannot be put at risk by a petty dispute.

Both governments must knock heads together and get this row sorted as quickly as possible.