Bedroom Tax

There was further evidence of the devastating effect of the Bedroom Tax in Scotland this month with the announcement that emergency housing payments claimed by people in Scotland have ballooned four times over the past few years.

These alarming figures show that Scotland is far removed from the decisions made in Westminster, which have little bearing on the needs of those living north of the border. It is clear that many on the lowest wages are having an increasingly hard time.

Almost £15.4m in emergency help payments was claimed by 45,722 households between April and November last year. This is a huge increase from the £4m that was claimed in 2012/13, with the finger firmly pointed at Westminster benefit cuts and the now infamous Bedroom Tax for why this is the case.

Food banks are becoming more of a common sight in towns and are increasingly in demand, as families find their money does not stretch to cover all of their bills, and they find themselves unable to afford the daily essentials.

The breakdown of figures for Aberdeenshire Council shows that between April and November 2013, £613,157 was claimed in Discretionary Housing Payments, compared to the substantially lower sum of £45,276 for 2012/13.

Again in the Moray Council area, the trend continues to be reflected with £260,277 paid out in emergency housing payments from April to November last year, compared to £18,543 in 2012/13, and £9042 in 2011/12.

The figures show that many people in Scotland need genuine help. The Scottish Government is doing what it can by funding an additional £20m over the next two years for those hit hardest by the Bedroom Tax. Overall, £35m has been provided for this year, which is the maximum amount of funding that the Scottish Government is allowed to give under UK legislation.

But it’s not enough. Despite over 90 per cent of Scottish MPs voting against it, the Bedroom Tax has contributed to poverty in Scotland. Only last month, the latest estimate from COSLA found that the annual costs of implementing the penalty exceeded any savings by £10 million. So it does not even make social sense, or economic sense, for the people of Scotland. Local authorities, Citizens Advice Bureaus and Housing Associations have all reported an increase in calls from those who have had benefits reduced or withdrawn. The most vulnerable in Scottish society have not been fully considered when these measures have been implemented.

Last November, at a House of Commons vote that could have banished the tax into the long grass, 10 of Labour’s Scottish MPs failed to turn up to vote against it. As an alternative, the Scottish Government has the vision of a different life for local people.

In Scotland’s Future – the blueprint for what independence would look like north of the border – the message is clear. Following a Yes vote on 18 September, reversing the most damaging of the UK welfare changes is a top priority. This would include abolishing the bedroom tax within the first year of the independent Scottish Parliament.

In addition to this, the Scottish Government would ask Westminster to stop the roll-out in Scotland of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments immediately. This will mean that the Scottish Government elected in 2016 will have the flexibility it needs to reform the welfare system in line with what is best for the people of Scotland.

What has been shown by this tax is that it is only an independent Scotland, with full powers over welfare, that will allow the creation of a system that will meet Scotland’s needs – one that supports the least well off, rather than kicking them when they’re down.