I bumped into a man at the Apex Hotel in Dundee who was carrying a copy of Social Security Scotland’s “charter”.
I approached him to ask how he felt about it.
He said his name was Denis and he replied: “Aye, pretty good. I helped to write it.”
The document, fashioned by people with lived experience of the UK Government social security system, will be the reference point for the new system rooted upon dignity, fairness and respect.
Denis, 66, is an operatic singer, radio host and divinity graduate.
He also has a severe disability and told me about the despair he felt when his disability living allowance (DLA) was cut and his mobility car repossessed after a health assessment for the Department for Work and Pensions. He said: “I felt lost and broken.”
After a painful process which ended up in court, the judge ruled in favour of Denis having his DLA reinstated and mobility car returned.
His input is crucial to the charter as DLA is one of the benefits that will come under the auspices of Social Security Scotland.
Reflecting back on the experience, Denis said: “I feel like through that trial, trauma and turbulence, there is triumph. We now have a charter which will transform lives.”
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