Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The UN CRPD Committee may wish to ask the UK Government how it intends to respond to the concerns raised by disabled people and their representative organisations in relation to the proposed reforms to the Work Capability Assessment. [...] The 2018 Act established a set of principles30 for the delivery of social security which include recognition that social security is a human right, “essential to the realisation of other human rights,”31 respect for the dignity of individuals is at the heart of the social security system,32 and that the social security system is designed with the people of Scotland, on the basis of evidence.33 35. [...] The identified social security principles are: (a) social security is an investment in the people of Scotland; (b) social security is itself a human right and essential to the realisation of other human rights; (c) the delivery of social security is a public service, (d) respect for the dignity of individuals is to be at the heart of the Scottish social security system; (e) the Scottish social sec. [...] These expectations include a commitment from the Scottish Government to develop policy that seeks to advance the human right to social security, as well as equality, non- discrimination as defined in laws, treaties and guidance and to publicly challenge the myths and stereotypes about social security so as to reduce stigma and negativity; to respect the dignity of people using the service; and to. [...] The 2018 Act provides for a restriction of assessments of applicants’ physical and mental health by individuals who not acting in the course of employment by a public body.41 Moreover, an assessment is only to be conducted when it is the only practicable means to obtain the information required to determine what assistance the individual is eligible for,42 and the individual’s preferences for how.