Disappointing budget fails to get a grip on the Tory cost of living crisis.
The SNP has said the spring budget was a “massive disappointment and missed opportunity” to get a grip on the Tory cost of living crisis – with millions of families still set to be hundreds or thousands of pounds worse off from April.
It comes as Rishi Sunak’s statement:
Failed to do anything to reduce energy bills
Failed to reverse the £1040 Tory cuts to Universal Credit
Failed to follow Scotland in uprating benefits by 6%
Failed to match the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide
Failed to reverse the real-terms cut to pensions
Failed to scrap the National Insurance tax hike
Failed to introduce a Real Living Wage
Failed to raise sick pay
Failed to lift the benefits cap
Failed to turn the £200 energy loan into a grant
Leading poverty charities and think tanks criticised the spring budget as “woefully out of touch”, “deeply disappointing” and “a drop in the ocean”.
Commenting, SNP Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss MP said:
“This was a massive disappointment and missed opportunity from the Chancellor, who has failed to get a grip on the Tory cost of living crisis and completely abandoned those on the lowest incomes, who will be hit hardest by soaring bills.
“Under the Tories, the UK already suffers from the worst poverty and inequality in north west Europe, and the highest in-work poverty this century, but Rishi Sunak’s budget did nothing to reduce energy bills, nothing to uprate benefits in line with inflation, and nothing to reverse the £1040 Tory cuts to Universal Credit.
“The majority of families will be hit by a toxic combination of Tory cuts, tax hikes and inflation but the Tory government has offered next to nothing for millions of pensioners, disabled and unemployed people, who will instead face real terms cuts to their incomes.
“While the SNP government has shown leadership by doubling the Scottish Child Payment and uprating eight Scottish benefits by 6% – the UK government has failed to match this for the benefits it controls and failed to use its reserved powers to boost wages and sick pay.
“This Westminster crisis has been a decade in the making, and despite all the smoke and mirrors today, the fact is millions of people will be hundreds or thousands of pounds worse off this year as a result of Tory cuts, tax hikes and failure.”
