Punitive Policy has Cost Scotland £419m
The SNP has challenged Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves to scrap the Bedroom Tax at the UK budget on 30th October, with research showing that more than half a million households are being hit by the punitive Labour government policy.
Recent analysis revealed 507,001 of the poorest households had their benefits cut as a result of the Bedroom Tax last year, including almost 100,000 in Scotland.
On average, the UK government policy cut the incomes of affected households by £930 each per year.
In total, the Bedroom Tax cost households in Scotland around £81.8million in 2023/24, with families across Great Britain being hit to the tune of £468.6million.
The research found households in Scotland are more than twice as likely to be hit by the Bedroom Tax than those in England, with 15% of housing benefit claimants affected in Scotland compared to 6% in England.
The analysis shows the UK government policy cost the Scottish Government more than £70 million to mitigate last year, and a total of more than £419 million since 2017. This is money that could otherwise be spent on further action to reduce poverty.
The Scottish Government has had to spend hundreds of millions of pounds mitigating Westminster austerity policies like the Bedroom Tax.
GRAEME
It is time for the new Labour UK Government to scrap this insidious policy once and for all.
It is one which punishes the poorest and most vulnerable simply for living in their family homes, and disproportionately affects Scotland.
The SNP Scottish Government could be directing critical funds towards other measures to fight poverty measures were it not having to fight damaging Westminster decisions which are driving said poverty.
