Welfare

Residents in West Dunbartonshire are the worst hit in the entire UK by the ‘bedroom tax’ with more than £1.8 million deducted from housing benefit claimants each year, according to new figures. The constituency was revealed as having £35,700 deducted from housing benefit recipients every week

David Ross Fife Council has reaffirmed its opposition to the implementation of Universal Credit and has called for the roll out of the welfare reform to be suspended over concerns of the severe impact it will have on individuals and families in the region.

Jeane Freeman By minister for social security Jeane Freeman

Kevin Stewart Housing minister Kevin Stewart outlines the reasons behind the new Universal Credit choices for recipients in Scotland and what they mean for landlords and tenants.

Jeane Freeman Recipients of Universal Credit in Scotland will be offered two new ways to help them manage their money, the Scottish Government has announced as it issued new guidance for landlords and claimants.

Sarah Boyack Ahead of today’s Scottish Government debate on ‘The Roll-out of Universal Credit’, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has once again warned that the continued roll-out of the benefit will have catastrophic consequences for some of the most vulnerable in society

(from left) Ann McDermott, Norman Shanks, Jeane Freeman MSP, Hannah Beaton and Sarah Erskine A new campaign aimed at ensuring older people receive the financial support they are entitled to has been launched by the Scottish Government and Citizens Advice Scotland.

David Gauke MP The roll out of the devolution of welfare powers to Scotland and concerns over Universal Credit will be raised by the Scottish Parliament’s social security committee when it takes evidence from secretary of state for work and pensions David Gauke MP.

More and more social tenants in Scotland are struggling to pay the first month’s rent in advance as a result of welfare reforms, making it even more difficult for them to find and keep a home, according to two leading housing organisations. Shelter Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing A

Jeane Freeman Social security minister Jeane Freeman has outlined more details on Scotland’s new social security agency and provided an update on the Scottish Government’s progress to abolish the ‘bedroom tax’ at source and in delivering choice in Universal Credit.

Ahead of yesterday’s statement in the Scottish Parliament, social security minister Jeane Freeman blogs about how the Scottish Government will deliver its new social security system. Last week we marked the 20th anniversary of the devolution referendum.

A dossier detailing a catalogue of concerns from landlords, councils and charities regarding Universal Credit has been handed to a parliamentary inquiry investigating the programme as pressure mounts on ministers to halt its continued roll-out. With the accelerated roll-out of the new system just we

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that Scotland’s new social security agency will be headquartered in Dundee, bringing hundreds of jobs to the city. The new agency will also have a site in Glasgow, with the two locations together creating at least 1,500 jobs split evenly between the two

Homelessness agencies could be asked to fill in a gap in the services provided by Fife Council as the local authority faces up to the “significant challenges” of increased demand and continued welfare reforms. The Courier has reported that the number of hostels under local authority management c

Sally Thomas The continued roll-out of Universal Credit will have “catastrophic consequences” for some of the most vulnerable in society as well as undermine the sustainability of housing associations, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has said.