Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been urged to “help, not hammer” families when she delivers her Budget.
Ms Reeves will lay out her tax and spending plans in the Commons on Wednesday, where she is widely expected to introduce tax hikes.
Ahead of the announcement, she has faced pressure from north of the border to scrap the two-child benefit cap and the windfall tax, as well as introduce a similar levy on commercial banks to pay for a £300 cut to energy bills for all but the wealthiest in the UK.
In the hours before the Budget, SNP economy spokesman Dave Doogan urged the Chancellor to focus on improving the situation for families, describing the Labour-run administration’s record on the economy as “a disaster”.
“Voters were promised change but things have got even worse – and now Rachel Reeves expects Scottish families and businesses to foot the bill for Labour Party failure,” he said.
“The Chancellor must help families – not hammer them with billions of pounds of cuts and damaging tax hikes that destroy jobs and hurt economic growth.
“The UK Government must use the Budget to reduce energy bills by £300 this winter through a levy on the banks and match the SNP’s Scottish child payment to lift 2.3 million families out of poverty.
“Hard-pressed families must not be forced to pay the price for mistakes made in Downing Street.
“Under the Labour Party, energy bills, food prices and the cost of living have soared, UK unemployment is at a four-year high, the economy has been downgraded, public finances have deteriorated and too many families are struggling from payday to payday.
“With Broken Brexit Britain stuck in crisis, the UK Government must put money back into people’s pockets – not take even more away.”
Reports have suggested the Chancellor could be set to scrap the two-child limit, which would free up funds for the Scottish Government – which had planned to mitigate the policy north of the border from early next year.
Anti-child poverty campaigners in Scotland have urged Ms Reeves to follow through and end the policy.
“The Chancellor’s top priority must be scrapping the two-child limit for all children,” said Child Poverty Action Group director John Dickie.
“It is the key driver of rising child poverty across the UK and scrapping it is the most cost-effective way to reduce that poverty.
“Scrapping the policy at source would also free up funds in the Scottish budget that are currently earmarked for mitigation, creating an opportunity to further build on the child poverty progress already being made in Scotland.”
The Scottish Greens urged the Chancellor to “tax the super wealthy” which would allow investment in green jobs and ending inequality.
Scottish Lib Dem Scottish affairs spokeswoman Susan Murray urged Ms Reeves to negotiate a new customs union with the European Union.
Speaking ahead of the Budget, the Chancellor said: “Today I will take the fair and necessary choices to deliver on our promise of change.
“I will not return Britain back to austerity, nor will I lose control of public spending with reckless borrowing.
“I will take action to help families with the cost of living, cut hospital waiting lists, cut the national debt.
“And I will push ahead with the biggest drive for growth in a generation.
“Investment in roads, rail and energy. Investment in housing, security and defence. Investment in education, skills and training.
“So, together, we can build a fairer, stronger and more secure Britain.”
