Scotland: Holyrood passes law to protect benefits from UK cuts

[MichaelMcGuire]

The Scottish Parliament has passed a law designed to offset the impact of UK Government cuts on the poorest families.

The Welfare Reform (Further Provision) (Scotland) Bill aims to protect council tax benefits and so-called "passported" benefits, which entitle claimants to other forms of support such as free travel.

MSPs took the unprecedented step of refusing legislative consent for the Welfare Reform Act, passed at Westminster, which will replace a whole raft of benefits with a single universal credit.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said evidence gathered by the Scottish Parliament's Welfare Reform Committee found that disabled people stand to lose up to £250m in benefits, while 170,000 households are expected to lose money when they receive the single universal credit.

"This Government will do everything we can to protect people in Scotland from the worst impact of these reforms," she said.

"But I make no apology in saying that the only way that we can ensure that Scotland is no longer subject to the kinds of reforms going through Westminster is to make sure that powers for these matters pass to this Parliament, and we can design a welfare system that reflects the values of this Parliament and the Scottish people."

Continue reading: http://news.stv.tv/politics/108466-holyrood-passes-law-to-protect-benefits-from-uk-cuts/