SNP MSP for Stirling Evelyn Tweed has criticised the Tory leadership candidates for their ‘silence’ on child poverty as a new report highlights the scale of the cost of living with Westminster.
A new report from Citizens Advice Scotland on Universal Credit underlines the struggles households across Scotland are facing – revealing that the need for food banks has grown by almost a third (31%) since September 2021.
The report calls for Westminster to immediately uprate Universal Credit and all legacy benefits, introduce a suspension of sanctions, scrap the benefit cap and the two-child limit, pause the collection of all DWP and HMRC debts, and convert all Advance Payments at the beginning of UC claims into non-repayable assessment period grants.
Whilst recent research has shown that the efforts of the Scottish Government is making a real difference to those struggling, through actions such as uprating devolved benefits and introducing the ‘game changing’ Scottish Child Payment, Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed has said ‘progress is being undermined by decades of Westminster austerity policies and a Tory leadership contest ignoring the cost of living crisis.’
Commenting SNP MSP for Stirling, MSP Evelyn Tweed said;
“It is utterly shameful to see such an increase in foodbank use in a place as wealthy as the UK. Yet, sadly, it’s not surprising that there are families in Stirling struggling to get by as prices continue to rise because Westminster fails to take any meaningful action to help. Every single Tory leadership candidate is silent on the matter of child poverty and the cost of living crisis.
“The Scottish Government is doing all it can with the powers at its disposal to support households through these tough times. Research shows these actions are making a real difference to those in Stirling who are struggling, but these efforts are constantly fighting against cruel Westminster policies which simply do not have the Scottish people’s interests at heart.”
“The Tories silence on poverty has been deafening and it’s clear that the last thing people in Stirling need is a different Prime Minister – what we need is a different future. With independence and the full welfare powers that independence would give us, we could build a fairer, wealthier and happier Scotland.”
ENDS
Citizens Advice Scotland Report
