By stewartb

Governing with devolved powers, how might Crisis Scotland and others judge the credentials of the British Labour Party in Scotland when (supposedly) setting ‘a new standard of aspiration’ and a pledge ‘to end homelessness by 2040′? What about the Party’s actual delivery in government rather than its aspiration for 14 years’ hence?

From Crisis (10 April,, 2025): The Homelessness Monitor: Wales 2025.

‘This fifth Wales-focused Monitor report takes a look at where homelessness stands in Wales, focusing particularly on the implementation of the Ending Homelessness in Wales High Level Action Plan, including planned extensive legal reforms, as well as the ongoing impacts of the cost of living crisis and pressures on temporary accommodation.

‘The total number of households experiencing the most severe forms of homelessness (“core” homelessness, e.g. rough sleeping, sofa surfing, staying in hostels, refuges or unsuitable forms of temporary accommodation) is estimated to have stood at 12,250 households. Although rates of core homelessness in Wales are lower than in England, they have risen more sharply in Wales than in either England or Scotland.’

‘.. the most effective policies for reducing core homelessness in the immediate term are found to be increasing the share of social lettings to homeless households, raising Local Housing Allowance, and making changes to Universal Credit and other benefits to reduce destitution.‘ (On ‘social lettings’ and ‘other benefits’, see later.)

From the ‘The homelessness monitor: Scotland 2024‘ (January, 2024), the latest edition of this Crisis report series.

From the foreword to this Crisis report (with my emphasis) : ‘As shown in this year’s Scotland Homelessness Monitor, Scotland has made huge progress in its journey towards ending homelessness in recent years. The creation of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group, followed by the publication of the Ending Homelessness Together Plan, laid out a blueprint for making homelessness in Scotland a thing of the past. The work of these groups was ground-breaking and set out Scotland as the first nation in Britain to have a plan to end homelessness.’

And on the ‘benefit’ of Scotland in Union? From the Executive Summary of the same Crisis Scotland report: ‘The cost-of-living crisis hit in the context of social security payments for those of working age failing to keep pace with inflation over the shorter and longer term. Since the withdrawal of a pandemic-prompted uplift in the Universal Credit standard allowance in Autumn 2021, the real value of benefits has declined as inflation has risen sharply, only partially mitigated by the 10% uplift in benefit rates in April 2023. Over the longer term, the decade to 2023/24 saw the Universal Credit basic allowance increased by just 7%, compared to earnings and price increases of 26-37%. As a result, the value of income-related benefits now sits below the cash thresholds for destitution for those of working age. Meanwhile, benefit sanctions and debt-related deductions push the levels of benefit received by some households still lower.’

It is in this context that the SNP government strives to mitigate, as Crisis acknowledges: ‘ … new social security benefits have now been established in Scotland under powers devolved in 2016. Most significant has been the launch of the Scottish Child Payment, introduced in 2021 with increases to its generosity and eligibility introduced in 2022. Initial evidence indicates that the payment is reducing child poverty and food bank use, and our own modelling indicates that the payment could reduce poverty by 24% and core homelessness by around 15%.’ The Scottish Child Payment – it’s not a ‘new standard of aspiration‘ looking to 2040 to achieve but a new standard of practical, effective financial support being delivered now.’

And more: ‘Discretionary funds administered by local authorities also play an important role in easing poverty in Scotland, with local authorities clear that Discretionary Housing Payments and the Scottish Welfare Fund are important and effective tools in preventing homelessness.’

More: ‘Key informants and local authorities report an increased focus on early intervention and prevention and improved interagency working, with partnership working especially strong with the social housing and criminal justice sectors. Effective partnership arrangements with health and social care partners are also widespread and have improved dramatically since 2018. Two thirds of local authorities now report that social housing allocations policy has changed as a result of their Plan, primarily increasing the proportion of allocations to homeless household.’

The report adds in conclusion: ‘.. homelessness continues to be an area of policy focus and legal reform, with Scotland pursuing an ambitious path in both UK and global terms via the implementation of a rapid rehousing by default model, including the scaling up of Housing First, and continued legal changes that strengthen and deepen the duties owed to those facing homelessness.’

The constraint is the ability to afford to do all that may be needed and wanted in this area of public policy as well as in other crucial areas, all while Scotland and Wales are locked into the context of governing with limited devolved powers within the UK. The British Labour Party in Scotland’s ‘new standard of aspiration’ won’t change that reality, just as it has manifestly failed to do under successive Labour governments in Cardiff!

So why in this context is Crisis Scotland being so fulsome in its praise for a 2040 aspiration prior to the election?