NEW DATA REVEALS NEARLY 30,000 SCOTS HAVE HAD BENEFITS CAPPED : SNP CALL ON UK GOVERNMENT TO ‘SCRAP THE CAP’

The SNP has urged the UK government to ‘scrap the cap’, after new data from the Department of Work and Pensions revealed that 28,248 Scottish households have had their housing benefit or Universal Credit capped between the introduction of the benefit cap and November 2023.

88% of those households include children, with the majority of capped households continuing to be single parents with children.

The SNP are calling for both the Tories' and Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party to commit to the abolition of the benefit cap - or devolve the full powers of social security laws to Holyrood so that the SNP Scottish Government can tackle the problem head on.

The SNP Scottish Government is already providing £8.6million in direct support for people affected by the UK benefit cap as part of its work to tackle child poverty.

Scarp the benefits Cap!

It is essential that Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer finally commit to abolishing the cruel benefit cap in their general election manifestos. 

Commenting, SNP MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, Natalie Don, said:

“It is essential that Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer finally commit to abolishing the cruel benefit cap in their general election manifestos. 

“A failure to do so consigns families across Renfrewshire North and West to poverty and financial hardship.

“The data released today highlights the reality of Westminster austerity. It is time to abolish the cap and stop taking vital support away from those who need it most.

“It is clear that the only Party that represents Scotland’s values in Westminster is the SNP, who will continue to stand up for Scotland’s priorities and be the voice that Scotland needs."

Natalie Don MSP condemns impact of benefit cap

“528 households in Renfrewshire have been impacted since the introduction of the Tory benefit cap,” said Natalie Don MSP, commenting on the release of new figures which revealed the number of people affected by this callous policy. 

The latest numbers from the Department of Work and Pensions showed that 5281 households in Renfrewshire were subject to the benefit cap from its introduction until the latest figures as of February 2022. 

The SNP Scottish Government is spending £83 million on mitigating the UK government’s bedroom tax and benefit cap for people affected in Scotland and to support them through the Tory made cost of living crisis. 

Natalie Don MSP added:

“Ever since its introduction in 2013 this callous policy has done nothing but punish the most vulnerable and severely limit their ability to provide for themselves and their families, and now couldn’t be a worse time for its effects to be felt and its limitations imposed on more households. 

“As a Tory-made cost of living crisis ravages households across the country, it is important we look at ways of supporting people financially, not constructing more barriers and taking money out of their pockets - it’s long past time this disgraceful policy went. 

“In Scotland, the Scottish Government is taking the steps it can to help families affected by these policies, but it shouldn’t have to mitigate damaging Tory austerity, nor should its efforts in tackling poverty be dragged backwards. 

“With the full powers of independence, the Scottish Government can get on with the work of supporting Scottish people through tough times without the need to continually clean up after the Tories and their dangerous pursuit of an ideology-driven austerity agenda.

“Time and time again, amidst pandemics and crises, we’ve seen the Tories turn their backs on the most vulnerable people by refusing to reverse this policy - making it clear that only with independence can Scots be free of the worst of Tory rule.”