Sick proposals

It has been suggested that the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has secured the backing of David Cameron for a plan for workers to “save for their own sick pay”.

Surely this is an unbelievable suggestion. Don’t we already do that through our national insurance payments?

It smacks of “private sickness insurance”, similar to the system they have in the United States, where approximately 80 per cent of low-paid workers have no cover, resulting in many living in fear of the financial consequences of sickness and in many cases the resulting poverty.

These proposals would not only be another attack on the vulnerable, but an attack on the principal of social justice.

The Prime Minister was eager to point out that there was no such proposals in the Conservative manifesto, but history has proven that we should take no comfort in this.

The fact that these proposals are even seeing the light of day is yet another example of why welfare should be devolved to the Scottish Government.

Catriona C Clark

Hawthorn Drive

Banknock, Falkirk