THOUSANDS TURN TO CRISIS FUND DUE TO DWP DELAYS

THOUSANDS TURN TO CRISIS FUND DUE TO DWP DELAYS

Thousands of Scots were forced to apply for crisis grants last year, due to delay in receiving their benefits, new figures show.

254,000 individual households have been supported through the Scottish Welfare Fund since it began in April 2013 to end of March 2017. Of the 165,000 applications for crisis grants in the past year, 17,500 were due to a delay in benefit payments.

The shocking figures come as the UK government continues to roll out universal credit, which has a six week wait for the first payment.

Commenting, Patricia Gibson said:

“Tory welfare cuts are having a devastating impact on low-income and disabled people across Scotland and the botched roll-out of universal credit is just the latest disaster to hit households.

“The SNP has repeatedly argued that the six-week delay in receiving the first universal credit payment is entirely unreasonable and is leaving families unable to make ends meet.

“These new figures show the scale of that impact even before universal credit is fully rolled out.

“The SNP is determined to use our limited powers over social security to build a social security system with dignity and respect at its heart. Meanwhile, the Tories must look at the human impact of their welfare reform agenda and think again.”

Scottish Welfare Fund figures are available here:

https://news.gov.scot/news/scottish-welfare-fund-5