56% INCREASE IN NUMBER OF ANGUS FAMILIES HIT
11 August 2020
SNP MSP for the Angus South Constituency, Graeme Dey, has again called on the UK Government to scrap its benefit cap, as it emerged the number of Angus households hit by the policy has soared by 56% since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
New statistics show that, as of May this year, a total of 6,034 households in Scotland were hit by the benefit cap – an increase of almost 76 per cent. In Angus, around 114 households saw the money they received cut by this policy.
Shelter Scotland has warned that the controversial benefit cap, the scrapping of which has been repeatedly called for the SNP, is forcing families into poverty during this Coronavirus crisis.
Commenting, Mr Dey said:
“The increasing numbers of people being hurt by this policy, in Angus and across Scotland, is unacceptable – particularly at such a time of unprecedented financial uncertainty.
“These figures should serve as a wake-up call to the Tory UK Government, who must now scrap their harmful benefit cap which hits families with children the hardest.
“The SNP in government has done and will continue to do all it can to support those affected, but such damaging policies imposed at UK level impede the Scottish Government’s efforts to fight poverty proactively.
“The SNP has long called for the benefit cap to be scrapped, and if the UK Government were at all serious on poverty they would do so now.”
