THE SNP have urged Rachel Reeves to scrap the planned cuts to disability benefits in the wake of the winter fuel U-turn.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said on Monday that nine million pensioners in England and Wales will be in receipt of the payment this year after a cut was announced in the first weeks of the Labour Government last summer.
The initial decision was met with heavy backlash and forced the Scottish Government to delay the implementation of its own devolved benefit.
John Swinney’s administration later announced a similar payment for pensioners which would be tapered and see those on the highest incomes receiving £100, compared to £305.10 for those on the least.
Monday’s announcement will result in cash being sent to the devolved administration at Holyrood.
But now, the SNP have pushed for a different approach on welfare reform, after the UK Government also announced a £5 billion cut to benefits earlier this year.
“The Chancellor must now abandon her devastating cuts to disabled people – and scrap the two-child benefit cap,” SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said.
“This screeching U-turn was inevitable and lessons must be learnt from the damaging mess the Labour Government caused by robbing pensioners of their winter fuel payments.”
He added: “It must be swiftly followed by an end to all Labour Party austerity cuts – scrapping the planned cuts to disability benefits and abolishing punitive welfare policies, including the Labour Government’s two-child benefit cap and bedroom tax.
“At the spending review on Wednesday, the Labour Government must end its austerity cuts for good – and not impose even more cuts to families and public services.”
Scottish Greens social security spokesperson Maggie Chapman, meanwhile, said: “Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment was one of the first acts of this Labour government. Elected on a promise of ‘change’ they brought in sweeping austerity that harmed older people across the UK at a time when the cost of living remains sky high.
The MSP added: “There is no doubt that the damage has already been done, families will have lost loved ones, and illnesses will have been caused over the winter months because of the brutal decision by Rachel Reeves and the Labour Government.
“Labour’s cutting of the Winter Fuel Payment, refusal to end the two-child benefit cap and regressive austerity measures are forcing people into poverty in Scotland and across the UK.”
Chapman went on: "The reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment for some is a welcome move, but we must go further, the Labour government must end the two-child benefit cap which hits working class families the hardest, and they must reverse their cruel austerity policies.
“Poverty isn't inevitable; it’s a political policy, a policy which Rachel Reeves has forced upon hundreds of thousands of people across the UK. If Keir Starmer has any shame, he would finally call an end to her disastrous time as Chancellor.”
