A major new UK-wide research study, led by the University of Glasgow, provides new evidence on social security spending across the UK’s four nations and the impact of devolution, helping to inform how politicians set out priorities for reform.
The findings are published in State of the Nations, the first systematic analysis of how social security policies now differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The report forms part of the wider Safety Nets research programme, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and involving researchers and policy experts from universities and organisations across the UK.
The study examines how devolved and localised approaches to welfare are affecting families and working-age adults, providing new evidence on the scale, impact and future direction of social security reform across the UK.
Published as the UK processes the results of elections to the Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru and local authorities in England, the Safety Nets report highlights several key findings shaping debates around welfare reform and devolved powers:
- Most of the additional spending targets low-income families with children
- There is considerable variation in entitlements between parts of England due to the localisation of Council Tax Reduction and crisis support
- Delivery of benefits differs widely across the UK, with no disability assessments in Scotland, different Universal Credit payment patterns in Northern Ireland, and a unique public-private-voluntary sector partnership for crisis support delivery in Wales.
Despite these differences, the overall structure of social security across the UK remains largely the same. Researchers found that additional expenditure linked to devolution remains small in the context of the overall social security spending – amounting to 3.2% in Scotland and 0.5% in Northern Ireland in 2024-25 – but can make a significant difference to households receiving additional support.
Dr Mark Simpson, Senior Lecturer and Research Director at the School of Law at Ulster University and lead author of the report, said:
“It is important neither to overstate nor understate the significance of devolution and localisation for UK social security. Devolved-level decisions account for a small proportion of social security spending and have not radically changed the structure of the system. Even so, their impact for people who receive benefits has been significant and we can expect further debates on the role of devolved and local government in shaping and delivering this vital service.
“Is the extra money being spent in Scotland and Northern Ireland a great example of using devolved powers to address poverty, or simply unfair to families elsewhere? Everyone will have their own view on that, but we all need to understand what is happening in social security in different parts of the UK, why and what difference it makes.”
Professor Melanie Simms, Dean of Research for the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow, said:
“The results of this month’s elections confirm that understanding the extent, impact and possibilities of devolved and local social security powers is more vital than ever. Both the Scottish and Welsh Governments will be led by parties with ambitions to use social security as an anti-poverty tool and to increase the powers transferred to Holyrood and Cardiff Bay. This report highlights the issues that politicians need to be aware of, so that real progress can be made in social security provision that has a positive impact for those who are most in need of it.”
The report examines the extent, nature, causes and implications of place-based variation in social security for working-age adults and families with dependent children across the UK. The most distinctive developments in recent years include:
- In Scotland, families receiving Universal Credit can receive at least an additional £1,800 during the first year of a baby’s life compared with other parts of the UK through measures designed to tackle child poverty.
- In Northern Ireland, targeted payments continue to offset the impact of certain benefit cuts since 2012 such as the ‘bedroom tax’ and benefit cap, while the Executive remains cautious about diverging too far from social security arrangements in England and Wales.
- In Wales, the Discretionary Assistance Fund provides crisis support through a unique system in which decisions on awards are made by a private company with support from local authorities, while delivery and appeals are handled by voluntary sector partners, reflecting the Welsh government’s unique approach.
- In England, the lowest-income families in some areas pay no council tax, while others must pay up to £1,400, demonstrating the wide variation created by Council Tax Reduction schemes.
The Safety Nets project brings together researchers from Ulster University, University of Glasgow, Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, University of Salford and University of York, alongside partners including the Resolution Foundation and Child Poverty Action Group.
Mike Brewer of the Resolution Foundation said:
“Our research highlights the live issues for the freshly elected representatives taking their seats in the Scottish Parliament, Senedd and local government. The incoming Scottish and Welsh Governments have ambitions for social security that may challenge current arrangements.
"Any debate that emerges on what social security powers should be devolved and which governments or local authorities are doing 'better' on social security needs to be an informed one. Devolution provides an opportunity to try things out - in Safety Nets our role is to help everyone learn from the experiments that are taking place."
Anvar Sarygulov, Research Grants and Programme Manager at the Nuffield Foundation, said:
“This important new study shows how social security is evolving across the UK and the impact this is having on people’s lives. By providing robust, independent evidence, the research helps ensure that debates about welfare reform are grounded in the realities facing families and highlights how learning from different approaches can improve support.”
The report is expected to contribute to future debates around welfare reform, devolved powers and anti-poverty policy across the UK, as governments in Scotland and Wales explore greater control over social security provision and local authorities in England continue to operate increasingly varied systems of support.
You can read the full report here: safetynets.study/publications
