Thursday May 28th 2015
SNP MSP Colin Beattie is highlighting new figures published this week which show the Scottish Government’s action to mitigate against the Bedroom Tax in Midlothian and made clear that the SNP will abolish the Bedroom Tax for good as soon as the powers are delivered to the Scottish Parliament.
The Discretionary Housing Payments in Scotland figures show that a total of £694,462 was distributed in Midlothian, helping local people affected by the Tories’ Bedroom Tax.
Commenting, Colin Beattie said:
“The Scottish Government has used every power at its disposal to limit the damage caused by the Tory government’s welfare cuts – providing real support to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Midlothian.
“Discretionary Housing Payments provide a real lifeline for the 70,000 households in Scotland affected Westminster’s Bedroom Tax– and these figures are a welcome reminder of the real help the SNP is providing in government to mitigate against this unfair policy.
“Though of course, it is absolutely ridiculous that the Scottish Government finds itself in the position of having to spend scarce resources on mitigating against an unfair attack on the poor which Scotland’s people, parliament and government have comprehensively rejected.
“The fact is that the Bedroom Tax should never have been imposed on Scotland in the first place – and the SNP in government must have the powers we need to abolish the Bedroom Tax as soon as possible.”
