THREAD: Today we release the first research into attitudes to social security in Scotland since the Scotland Act 2016 devolved new powers to Holyrood.

Our report offers a critical insight into the views of Scottish voters ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections.

Our table below shows which existing benefits are changing as a result of devolution from Westminster to Holyrood, and which are staying the same.

For our research, we commissioned @OpiniumResearch to poll a representative sample of 3,002 Scottish adults about social security.

Polling was conducted between 4th and 9th December 2019, before #COVID19, with respondents from across social, economic and political divides.

On levels of poverty in Scotland, 70% of Scots believe there is 'quite a lot' of real poverty in the country, with 62% believing it has increased over the last decade and 47% believing it will continue to increase over the next decade.

Overall, 64% of Scots agree that further cuts to social security would damage too many people's lives. Shown below are how different groups of Scots responded.

43% of Scots disagree that people would be more independent if benefits were less generous. Shown below are how different groups of Scots responded.

Large numbers of Scots support increased spending for carers (72%), disabled people (67%), low-income working parents (61%) and those who have paid income tax and national insurance for a number of years (50%), but fewer support more spending for the unemployed (27%).

Scots are divided over how increased social security spending could be funded, with 56% supporting increases in taxation and 44% supporting cuts to other spending.

A clear majority of Scots (60%) think the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood should control most or all of social security policy in Scotland.

Support for the Scottish Parliament controlling most or all of social security policy in Scotland varies across political divides, however, with minorities of 'No' voters (43%) and Conservative voters (29%) holding that view.

Our research has also found that awareness among the Scottish public of the benefits that are being devolved to Scotland is low, with a majority of Scots not knowing or giving the wrong answer when asked about whether a range of benefits have been devolved or not.

Scots support centre-right principles such as that social security should: promote personal responsibility (72%); only be a safety net (59%), be conditional on strict requirements (58%); and that those who have paid income tax and NI for longer should receive more help (64%).

At the same time, a majority of Scots also support principles introduced by the Scottish Government's reforms such as that social security: is a human right (57%); is a public service (65%); should help to reduce unequal incomes (53%); and that it should be universal (57%).

Most Scots (54%) think that the introduction of Universal Credit has been unsuccessful.