Inside the Bute House talks fighting for social justice with John Swinney

A group of us, including the team from changing realities and parents from various localities across Scotland, found ourselves sitting across from the First Minister at Bute House, accompanied by Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice.

We were not there for a photo opportunity or a private tour around the grandeur of the house. We were there to talk about something deeply personal and very much political - the real-world impact of social security benefits in our country.

For years, the narrative around benefits has been shaped by headlines and politicians who rarely, if ever, experience the daily realities of life on benefits, and the constant anxiety of navigating the benefits system, or the impossible choices made between heating and eating. This meeting felt like a crucial step in changing that.

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We arrived at Bute House with nerves, hope and a dose of uncertainty, but also with a fierce determination to ensure our stories were heard – not as statistics, but as lived realities. We shared experiences of the mental toll, the relentless stress of navigating a system that often feels designed to trip you up rather than support you, and where an unexpected political choice can plunge a family into crisis.

One of our group spoke strongly about the difference the Scottish Child Payment has made, a lifeline that has genuinely eased the burden for many families in Scotland, including their own. However, the child payment was challenged to align with the rising inflation in Scotland, if it was to feel a flicker of dignity in a system that often strips it away. This was not an abstract policy request; it was a tangible request to the improvement to children's lives, and those parents raising them on the current benefit system.

But we also highlighted the gaps, the frustrations and the continued struggle. We talked about the delays, the intrusive questions, and the feeling of being constantly judged.

We emphasised that benefits are not a handout; they are a fundamental safety net, a human right that allows people to survive and, hopefully, to thrive. We pressed for more: for quicker, fairer assessments, for wider eligibility, and for the kind of systemic change that truly lifts people out of poverty, rather than just managing it.

The First Minister and his team listened intently. There were nods of understanding, challenging questions and a genuine engagement with the raw truths we brought to the table. It felt different from the usual political theatre. It felt like an acknowledgment the voices on the ground, the voices from our shared experiences, are the most important ones in this conversation.

Leaving Bute House, there was a sense of cautious optimism. We know one meeting will not fix everything.

The fight for true social justice is long and arduous. But for that hour or so, in that grand room, we were not just the ‘marginalised’ or ‘the beneficiaries’, we were the experts. We were the people whose lives are directly shaped by these policies, and we were given the space to speak our truth to power.

- James Holloway is a parent with Changing Realities – a campaign group taking action on child poverty in Scotland and beyond.