FOR too long I have had to meet with too many constituents who have been left destitute, in vulnerable situations, and with families on the breadline relying on food banks. And with the Tories’ ideological attack on our social security system, this is only going to get worse.

A few weeks ago, I had two constituents come to me because of Universal Credit. Both were left without a penny and were, for the first time in their lives, in a situation where they had rent arrears. Despite trying to explain their situation to the DWP, and the potential risk of eviction, they were met by the same, cold, blank wall of refusal.

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In the same week, I met with a constituent who had taken in three additional children. Two were biological, the third was a stepdaughter who otherwise would have been put into care.

My constituent was living in a two-bed flat with five children on Universal Credit – this change meant they were now penalised by the DWP’s two-child benefit cap.

I remember a constituent who was terminally ill – on dialysis four times a week and was told by the DWP that they were fit to work.

But, because they couldn’t search for jobs as was expected of them, they were sanctioned. Left without money for 12 weeks.

This is a case that will undoubtedly stay with me forever.

I recently caught up with another constituent, Ewan Gurr, who was a Trussell Trust Manager until not too long ago, and has witnessed first-hand the brutal reality of policy decisions that have been made by the UK Government. Some of the statistics that Ewan told me of were staggering and, to be quite frank, unacceptable.

In 2012/2013, the Trussell Trust food banks received 14,318 referrals. One year later, that number rose to a shocking 71,421. That is an increase of 499%.

How, in the 21st century, in a developed country, and a country with the fifth largest economy in the world, can we think that it is acceptable to leave our own citizens in such vulnerable situations where they have to turn to charities for help because the state has closed the door on them?

It is an absolute disgrace and, while I wish we were getting full control of the social security system, I am relieved that the Scottish Government is now taking control of some aspects.

I am relieved that my constituents, and the rest of Scotland, will have access to a compassionate, person-centred system.

No longer will people be treated as just another number. People will be treated fairly, and with the dignity and respect that they deserve. We will have a system that people can rely on and trust.

The Scottish Government must be commended for the hard work, time and commitment that has been put into building and delivering this system for our communities.

Jeane Freeman, when Minister for Social Security, visited my own constituency of Dundee City East last year and visited the Brooksbank Centre, a money and debt advice service. During this visit, Jeane met with a group of 10 people who were given the opportunity to share their lived experiences with her directly. This, along with other similar events across Scotland, has allowed the Scottish Government to develop a bottom-up approach to the new system, and has set the tone for its creation.

People now feel involved in the creation of our social security system. They know that it isn’t just a cosmetic exercise, but that they’re actually being listened to. Organisations, such as Brooksbank, feel as though they have been able to directly influence how the system is shaped and how it works for our communities.

Ginny Lawson – manager at the Brooksbank Centre – says that the feeling there, and other similar projects throughout Dundee, is that the Scottish Government are coming into the already established partnership networks and becoming part of the sector, not part of the problem.

Ginny has told me that the information her project has been given from our new agency is concise, well organised, and that it means that they no longer have to worry about chasing payments that people are entitled to; enabling her advisors to focus on other issues in the benefit system caused by the complex UK system.

And although not all of the new agency is operational yet, having a Scottish System operated locally means that projects such as the Brooksbank Centre can build relationships with staff and resolve issues much sooner.

This partnership work is key. It is key to the ethos and culture of the new social security system, and is key to getting it right. If we get things right now, then we can lead the way in the future and have a flagship social security system that is looked on as one of the best.