Scotland: news and updates

Regular news stories, updates, and useful information about:

our regional advocacy and involvement work to raise awareness of the support available
our thought leadership on a variety of topics related to voice and rights issues
our proactive efforts to influence decisionmakers at the highest level to drive change

Highlights the injustice of poverty in Scotland and shows that collective action based on on justice and compassion can create solutions.

The Scottish Government will soon be making a new Carer Support Payment available nationwide.

A temporary payment that provides financial support when challenging a Social Security Scotland decision.

First Minister John Swinney announced his first Programme for Government (PFG).

The final report of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review, published in September 2022, is the first major review in 20 years.

VoiceAbility’s first pop-up shop — set up to promote our Scottish benefits advocacy service — has been hailed “a real success”.

Chair of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment to seek evidence from various audiences about the first year of delivery.

The UK Government has proposed major changes to disability benefits in the UK, which will overhaul Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

A new advocacy service for adults and children across Shetland has launched this month.

Since we started providing benefit advocacy in April 2022, we’ve dealt with around 6,000 cases and now have 51 staff in Scotland.

Shona Robinson visited Agnes Husband House and spoke to an advocate about the delivery of the Social Security Independent Advocacy Service.

We’ve recently launched a contract with the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership to provide an advocacy service for adults.

We set up an exhibition in the Scottish Parliament for 3 days in April, sponsored by Collette Stevenson, SNP MSP for East Kilbride.

Members of the Scottish Parliament heard from people whom VoiceAbility has supported to access Social Security Scotland benefits.

Jeremy Balfour MSP’s Member’s Bill to establish a Disability Commissioner for Scotland has been introduced in Scottish Parliament.

We’re part of the Scottish Government’s Wider Implementation Group, currently examining proposals as part of a new Scottish Bill of…