Charities call on all parties to protect and improve benefits

Launching its manifesto in Edinburgh, umbrella group Scottish Campaign on Welfare Reform said it was time for a system which lifted people out of poverty and treated them with dignity.

And it called on leaders of all political parties to support their Manifesto for Change demands:

&149 Increase in benefit rates to a level where no one faces poverty;

&149 Respect for human rights and dignity as a cornerstone of a new approach to welfare;

&149 A simplified welfare system;

&149 Investment in the support needed to enable everyone to participate fully in society;

Welfare benefits in Scotland, suitable for Scotland.

Kaliani Lyle, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, said: "We don't know who will be in power in a few weeks' time, but what is clear is that all parties are looking for cuts in spending, and that welfare services are very much in the firing line.

"SCoWR is here to protect those services, and this manifesto is all about challenging politicians of all parties to show us they too are committed to maintaining a fair welfare system."