Reflection must go deeper to drive change

Reflection is key to making long-term change; but is the recent period of reflection by the government enough to drive this action?

Space to think and reflect is so important: I often remind my children the value of this, preparing them for the continuous demands for their attention as they grow. 

Before my summer holiday, I found myself stuck in an overly reactive space, chasing endless ‘to-dos’. A fortnight away with family gave me the space to slow down, reflect, and think. 

It brought to mind the UK Government’s recent moment of, shall we say, ‘reflection’, or, more accurately, its major U-turns on social security reform. 

Like many organisations, the ALLIANCE had been concerned the proposals, in particular the disproportionate impact they would have on disabled people and people with long term conditions. Not least because of the lack of consultation, but the content of them too.  

A badly designed process, with badly designed proposals that will cause harm to those affected. So, when many MPs echoed these concerns, those opposed breathed a quick sigh of relief. 

Some might view the Government’s decision to listen and reflect as a sign of strength; courageous enough to pivot when presented with new evidence. But to me there are cautionary signals this isn’t the case. 

I remain concerned about our reluctance to face the drivers of health inequalities – poor housing, poverty, and systemic injustice. We live with the outcomes of political and economic choices governments make, yet the blame is passed onto people for circumstances caused by the system. 

Evidence is clear; 15 years of austerity have been the major driver of the health outcomes we see today and hit the poorest hardest.  

Disabled people and those living with long term conditions deserve the best possible health and employment opportunities. The right to work is a basic human right. But too often, barriers exist which stop them from taking part equally. Social security isn’t a luxury – it’s a lifeline. Leaders should treat it as both a moral obligation and a smart investment in wellbeing. The government’s proposals acknowledge that poor access to fair, secure work affects people’s health – but they miss the bigger picture. Instead of addressing the deeper issues behind why support is needed, the focus was on reducing the cost of social security.

The recently published roadmap to a minimum income guarantee for Scotland was a refreshing contrast with its clear, thought-out approach. Alongside a social security system which guarantees a level of income people should not fall below, it recognises the vital roles of accessible services and fair work. It also thoughtfully considers how the intersections of different experiences – like race, gender, and disability – can shape how these policies affect people. 

There’s no question that the UK’s social security system needs transformational change. But this opportunity to reflect shouldn’t mean we keep making choices that treat some lives as more valuable than others or push aside certain groups for the sake of saving money.  

True reflection should drive action and long-term change – tackling the root of the problem and the systemic inequality built into our system. 

This article first appeared in the August edition of TFN magazine.

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