Welfare

Scottish Labour has called on the Scottish Government to use the new powers over social security to ensure automatic payment of the Universal Credit housing element to landlords. Analysis by the party found that fewer than half of eligible households have opted for the direct payments.

Thousands of people in Scotland are struggling with essential household bills especially Council Tax, a debt charity has warned. StepChange Debt Charity Scotland said it was contacted by over 30,000 people last year across every constituency seeking debt help.

A Financial Inclusion Team formed by Govan Housing Association to assist its tenants and the wider community with all matters relating to money and welfare benefit advice is celebrating a successful first year. Within the first 12 months, the enhanced service has generated just over £1.2 milli

Ahead of giving evidence today to the Scottish Parliament’s social security committee inquiry into social security support for housing, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) said that “Universal Credit is creating systemic indebtedness and arrears for new claimants&rdquo

Seven affordable housing providers across the Highlands are urging tenants claiming Universal Credit to update their claim this April 1 to ensure their entitlement covers their annual rent increase for the year ahead. Those who fail to do so will face a shortfall in their housing entitlement, p

Scotland’s largest membership organisation for landlords in the private rented sector has asked the UK and Scottish Governments to ensure the housing element of Universal Credit is paid directly to private and social landlords for all Scottish claimants. Giving oral evidence to the social secu

UK Government welfare reform measures are having a significant impact on private landlords and their tenants according to CIH Scotland. In its evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s social security committee, CIH notes that the erosion of Local Housing Allowance (LHA), the benefit cap and the r

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has highlighted the need for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) systems to have the capacity to support Scottish Universal Credit Choices. Submitting evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s social security committee's inquiry into social

More than eight out of ten households affected by the benefit cap should be made exempt from the “cruel” policy which “targets claimants unable to work”, an influential group of MPs has said. In a new report, the work and pensions committee said only 18% of those affected by

A report highlighting the difficulties faced by people with mental health conditions accessing social security support has been welcomed as “crucially important” by the Scottish Greens. Money and Mental Health’s The Benefits Assault Course surveyed hundreds of people experiencing m

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has responded to an inquiry by the UK Parliament’s work and pensions committee into Universal Credit ‘natural’ migration by calling for a pause until key conditions are met. The SFHA would like to see the outcomes of

The contribution of the Universal Credit rollout to an increase in food bank use has finally been conceded by work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd. Having long been disputed by successive ministers, the link between the flagship welfare reform, which has been plagued with delays, and food insecuri

People due to move from tax credits to Universal Credit face significant issues and a dramatic culture change, according to Holyrood’s social security committee. The warning comes in the committee’s latest report into in-work poverty which has raised deep concerns with the flagship welfa

The Scottish Parliament’s social security committee has launched an inquiry into whether the social security system adequately supports tenants in both the private rented sector and social housing. There are growing concerns that a system which should support people to be able to rent an affor

CIH policy and practice officer Sam Lister rounds up all the latest changes to Universal Credit – including some which have slipped under the radar. Already in 2019 we’ve seen several new announcements about Universal Credit – in addition to those in the November Budget. Some have