Greens call for support as Benefit Cap cuts hit record high
Scottish Greens are calling on the Scottish Government to guarantee full mitigation of the Benefit Cap.
The Benefit Cap is a UK Government policy which caps the amount of social security a household can receive, regardless of the level of need.
The call comes as new figures showed that a record 7,000 families are currently losing an average of up to £56 a week, or £2912 a year. More than 22,500 families have lost out since the policy was introduced in 2013.
A record high of 7098 families are being hit, according to the latest figures. That is a rise of 115% since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Child Poverty campaigners have previously said scrapping the cap would move 150,000 children out of poverty across the UK.
Earlier this month parliament backed Scottish Greens proposals to commit to “exploring funding options to end the benefit cap”.
Scottish Greens social security spokesperson Maggie Chapman MSP said:
“This week’s figures make for shocking reading, with over 7000 Scots families, the highest ever, being denied benefit payments they have been assessed as needing. The cap takes over £200 a month out of the pockets of our poorest families, and we cannot meet Scotland’s challenging child poverty reduction targets without reversing this injustice.
"Parliament has requested the Scottish Government examines plans to end this inhumane policy, and it must act, and quickly.”
The average monthly amount that UC households are capped by is £244, at February 2021. This is the equivalent of £56 per week, the same as at November 2020.
The average weekly amount that HB households are capped by is £50, at February 2021, a decrease from £51 at November 2020.