“Renfrewshire households will lose out on a total of £9,517,581 due to the actions of the UK Tory Chancellor who falsely claimed he would provide support to help with the cost of living crisis”, said Natalie Don MSP (SNP – Renfrewshire North and West).
Despite the Chancellor claiming that Scotland would receive an additional £290million to help with the cost of household council tax bills, it has been revealed by the Scottish Finance Secretary - Kate Forbes MSP – that no such additional money has come to Scotland to help low-income families to pay their council tax!
In a letter to Holyrood’s Finance Committee Ms. Forbes reveals the Scottish Government was expecting to receive £852m from the Treasury but will instead receive £814m. Meaning the Scottish Government will have to find funds from elsewhere in its budget to help people in Renfrewshire and across Scotland to pay their council tax bills.
Natalie Don MSP added:
“The Tories are trying to pull the wool over our eyes and dupe the people of Renfrewshire and Scotland into thinking they would be providing extra cash to deal with the cost of living crisis. However, the reality is that the extra cashed promised by the Chancellor simply isn’t there.
“Again, the Scottish Government has to make good on another broken Tory promise by finding funds from its limited budget to help out hard press families by cutting £150 off their council tax bills.
“This is real cash to deal with the cost of living crisis, not Tory smoke and mirrors. This trend is all too familiar to people in Scotland – when it comes to the Tories, all we get is cuts, not cash.
“This once again demonstrates that it is only with the full powers that independence would bring that we can provide support for those on the lowest incomes instead of having one hand tied behind our backs by relentless Tory cuts.”
In total Renfrewshire should have received £9,517,581 which would equate to £109.10 per household.