Philippa Faulkner says people with HIV are disproportionately impacted by welfare reforms
As the independence debate moves into its final stretch, you could be forgiven for thinking the only important issue was which currency we might have.
Questions about public services, social security and employment have taken a back seat of late, but for many people living with HIV they are priority issues, and areas that must change. HIV continues to be particularly poorly understood in the context of welfare, and people living with HIV are being disproportionately impacted by welfare reforms.
People living with hepatitis and HIV are financially worse off because of welfare reforms, but also the changes are having a significant negative impact on their physical and mental health
Philippa Faulkner
In July 2014, HIV Scotland published a report with Hepatitis Scotland which showed that not only were people living with hepatitis and HIV financially worse off because of welfare reforms, but also the changes were having a significant negative impact on their physical and mental health. We know that people with HIV can face real barriers in gaining and maintaining employment, due to unpredictable and potentially very severe symptoms and medication side effects that vary from day to day.
HIV Scotland is a member of the Scottish Campaign on Welfare Reform (SCOWR), a coalition of third sector organisations, trade unions and faith groups who believe that our welfare system should be reformed to reflect five principles, set out in the SCOWR manifesto for change.
It’s clear from the hundreds of referendum events being held up and down the country each week that the independence referendum has given people space to openly question what kind of Scotland they want to see, which is certainly a positive step. SCOWR held just such an event on 6 August, to hear the Better Together and Yes campaigns respond to the manifesto for change and to debate the future of social security. The debate was attended by around 70 people and included personal accounts from service users of how welfare reforms had affected them.
It was heartening to hear speakers from both campaigns supporting the principles of the SCOWR manifesto. There was consensus on a number of issues including that the current welfare system is not fit for purpose and that it should focus on eradicating poverty. However the panel disagreed on the powers Scotland (whether independent or otherwise) should have in order to pursue change.
The challenge for both sides is how to translate words into action. This was emphasised by a number of passionate contributions from the audience at the event, questioning the reality of the speaker’s aspirations for Scotland.
The SCOWR event showed there is appetite in Scotland to change how welfare works. Let’s hope that whichever way Scotland votes, conversations about how to create a fairer social security system don’t stop on 18 September.
Philippa Faulkner is policy and campaigning officer at HIV Scotland
