Minimum Income Guarantee Steering Group

Overview

The work to develop a proposal for a potential Minimum Income Guarantee for Scotland was led by an independent expert group that was established in 2021. Through the group's time the membership included: academia, the trade unions, poverty and equality organisations. It met for the last time in May 2025, ahead of submitting their final report to the Scottish Government in June 2025.

There was also a cross-party strategy group, chaired by Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice. It never met independently but came together with the expert group to meet as the steering group.

The expert group established an Experts by Experience Panel, made up of diverse members of the public with current or past experiences of financial insecurity. This panel deliberated on the complexities of designing a Minimum Income Guarantee and provided rich insights which have informed the expert group’s decision-making. The panel concluded with the publication of their final report in July 2024.

The expert group also commissioned a range of research to support the development of their report: 'The Minimum Income Guarantee: a roadmap to dignity for all', published in June 2025.

The publications, minutes of the meetings and any papers produced by the Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group are available below.

Members

The strategy group was chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and the expert group was chaired by Russell Gunson, Head of Programmes and Practice at the Robertson Trust. The final group members were:

Strategy group

Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Chair, Scottish National Party
Caron Lindsay, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Miles Briggs MSP, Scottish Conservative Party
Maggie Chapman MSP, Scottish Green Party
Paul O’Kane MSP, Scottish Labour Party

Expert group

Russell Gunson, Chair, Head of Programmes and Practice, The Robertson Trust
Andy White, Senior Officer, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership
Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap
Carmen Martinez, Coordinator, Scottish Women's Budget Group
Catherine Murphy, Executive Director, Engender
Chris Birt, Associate Director, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Emma Jackson, Head of Social Justice, Citizens Advice Scotland
Fiona Collie, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Carers Scotland
Gerard McCartney, Professor of Wellbeing Economy, University of Glasgow
John Dickie, Director, Child Poverty Action Group
Kimberely Wong, Policy and Research Officer, Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights
Mubin Haq, Chief Executive, abrdn Financial Fairness Trust
Peter Kelly, Director, Poverty Alliance
Satwat Reham, Chief Executive, One Parent Families Scotland
Sholen Macpherson, Policy and Research Officer, Coalition for Racial and Equality Rights
Tressa Burke, Chief Executive, Glasgow Disability Alliance