FRESH CRITICISM FOR UNFAIR DWP POLICIES

The SNP is today renewing its call for the abolition of the Bedroom Tax – after it emerged that even Tory MPs are calling for the policy to be revisited.

Speaking on the BBC’s World at One programme earlier this week, Tory MP Nigel Mills called for the DWP to reconsider the Bedroom Tax – which comes after the tabling of a debate at Westminster Hall by Tory MPs calling for the measure to be scrapped.

The SNP in government has fully mitigated the impact of the Bedroom Tax on people in Scotland – but is demanding that the UK Government abolishes the unfair tax once and for all to ensure the Scottish Government is not forced to spend resources on a policy people in Scotland reject.

Commenting, SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said:

“The Bedroom Tax is a pernicious, unfair policy which targets some of the most vulnerable people in our society – and that now even Tory MPs accept that shows just how harmful this policy is.

“For years, we’ve seen David Cameron being led by the nose by Tory backbenchers, forcing him into dangerous policies like the EU referendum.  But we are now in the position where this UK Government’s policies are so extreme and unfair that even Tory backbenchers are finding them unpalatable.

“It’s now time for Iain Duncan Smith to finally do the decent thing and scrap this unfair, indefensible policy for good - meaning we’d no longer be faced with the ludicrous position of the Scottish Parliament being forced to spend scarce resources mitigating against an unfair policy which targets vulnerable people and which Scotland completely rejects."