New research: Tory austerity pricing Scots out of housing
New research has found that while Housing Benefit has remained frozen since 2020, rents have skyrocketed, with only 1 in 20 private rental properties on Zoopla now able to be covered by housing benefit.
The SNP's Social Justice spokesperson, David Linden MP, warned the Tories' welfare austerity obsession is entrenching poverty and pricing Scots out of basic items such as shelter.
The figures mean just 5% of rents can now be covered by the UK government's Housing Benefit, the lowest level on record, compared to the 23% at the start of the freeze.
Commenting, the SNP's David Linden MP said:
"While everything from rents, mortgages, energy bills, and food costs have all soared, the Tories have essentially priced the poorest in society out of basic items like shelter with their ideological austerity obsession.
"What this research shows is that Universal Credit cuts, the benefit cap, the two child limit, and low levels of Housing Benefit all exist only to punish individuals and have only further entrenched poverty - the Tories should be ashamed.
"While the Scottish Government has taken bold steps with its limited powers to put dignity and fairness at the heart of our welfare system the Tories have done the complete opposite, instead laying even more burden at the door of those less fortunate.
"It has never been clearer that Scotland is on a different path to Westminster who have refused to take their cost of living crisis seriously.
"Only with the full powers of independence can we tackle rising poverty and inequality and create economic prosperity that works for everyone."
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