The SNP has slammed the UK Tory government for blocking hundreds of Scots from receiving the cost of living payment they are entitled to as a result of being subject to benefit sanctions.
SNP MSP Natalie Don has now called on the UK Government to take urgent action to get the vital payment to the 700 claimants in Scotland who were denied the first £326 payment in September.
The SNP has also demanded Westminster ensure the second payment, due to be issued between November 23-30, will not be withheld for anyone subject to Tories 'punitive sanction regime' at the time.
SNP MSP Natalie Don, who convenes Holyrood’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said:
“It is completely immoral that people are being denied vital financial support as a direct result of cruel Westminster policies.
“In the middle of a crippling cost of living crisis, this is nothing short of a scandal and the UK government must act urgently to get these payments to the hundreds of Scots that are entitled to them.
"By the Tories own admission, this payment was introduced for people desperately struggling - but they are being denied the support because of the Tories’ punitive sanction regime.
"It is clear that every bit of Tory talk on 'targeting support' and 'helping those who need it most' is utterly meaningless. We may have a new Prime Minister in Number 10, but we are still seeing the same old hollow Tory promises.
"The sooner Scotland escapes the cruel consequences of Westminster control and becomes independent, the sooner we can build a fairer society that looks after everyone."
Hundreds of Scots refused cost of living payments
DWP FOI Response:
We confirm that we hold the information you have requested. A copy of the information is provided below.
Between the 14 and 20 July, the department processed over 7.2m cost of living payments worth around £2.4 billion. In total, over eight million families will be eligible for this payment, with around one million eligible because they receive tax credits and no other eligible benefits. These families will receive their first instalment from HMRC in the autumn, and the second instalment in the winter. Further information is available at: 7.2 million Cost of Living payments made to low-income families – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and at: Cost of Living Payment – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Universal Credit households can receive a nil award for various reasons. The majority of nil awards are due to household earnings. Other reasons that can cause or contribute to a nil award include capital, other income, other benefits, sanctions and fraud penalties.
700 households in Scotland, containing 700 UC claimants had a nil Universal Credit award with an amount deducted for a sanction in the qualifying assessment period and did not receive the cost of living payment. Of these, there were 400 Scottish households containing 400 claimants where the sanction was the only reason for the nil award. In the remaining households the nil award was due to a combination of the sanction and other reasons.
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
2. Nil awards have been defined as households that received a £0 Universal Credit payment and had no deductions for advance repayments, third party debts or government debts and had no money paid directly to their landlord by Universal Credit.
3. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.
4. The methodology used is different to the methodology used to derive the Official Statistics Household series and therefore, figures may not be comparable.
5. The methodology and data source may be slightly different to those used to derive entitlement to the Cost of Living Payment.
6. For around 2% of claims it is not possible to determine their location due to incomplete data.
7. A household is a single person or couple living together.