Highlands & Islands MSP Emma Roddick has said that the failure of the Tories to support low-income households has seen the standard of living for many in the UK plummet.
Ms Roddick’s statement comes following research published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Trussell Trust which found that UK benefits are falling at least £140 a month short of the real cost of food, energy, and everyday basics.
She said:
“The UK Government’s failure to adequately fund its benefits system and support our most vulnerable is an absolute disgrace.
“Folk are being pushed into destitution and into using foodbanks in one of the richest countries in the world because of Tory inaction, incompetence, and – let’s face it – indifference.
“The Scottish Government is doing all it can to mitigate harmful UK welfare policy through its range of fair and compassionate benefits, such as the Scottish Child Payment which is actively lifting children out of poverty.
“We are, however, fighting against a tide of continuous and unforgiving UK welfare cuts.
“With the full powers of independence, we could continue to deliver a progressive approach to social security without the shackles of a government elsewhere that is insistent on pushing its people further into poverty.”
