Nearly 7,000 Scottish households affected by the ‘bedroom tax’ reached out for emergency support last December, figures reveal.
The Scottish Government re-launched calls for abolition of the spare room subsidy after research showed £18.6m was awarded in Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) to 53,000 households over a nine month period in 2013.
While only £4m was allocated to the DHP fund last year, Scottish councils awarded over £14m more than this in just nine months - £3.2m of which was in December alone.
'These figures show the impact the “bedroom tax” is having in Scotland. We can work to mitigate its effects but the only way to scrap it for good is through the powers of an independent Scottish Parliament,’ welfare minister, Margaret Burgess, said.
The Scottish Government contributed £20m to the DHP fund in 2013/14 – the maximum amount permitted – to help people cover the costs of the ‘bedroom tax’.
‘We have the choice of two futures – one where Scotland continues to pay the price of Westminster’s welfare reforms, and one where we have control to set up a welfare system that suits our needs,’ Burgess added.
‘We have already topped up DHPs to the maximum amount that Westminster legislation allows to help people struggling with the Bedroom Tax. But we know that this is not enough to help everyone.’
