Question reference: S5O-03150
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 17 April 2019
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 April 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the decision by the DWP to reject the recommendation of the Work and Pensions Committee to set the default rate for recovery of universal credit hardship payments at 5% of the Standard Allowance.
Answer
Earlier this week this chamber discussed the damaging impact that Universal Credit is having on people and the clear evidence that it is pushing people into hardship and poverty.
Refusing to consider lowering the repayment rate for hardship payments to a more affordable level is just another example of the DWP clearly failing the people who rely on this benefit.
We believe that that this is one of the many actions the DWP should take on UC to make this benefit fit for purpose. And again I will repeat my call that these flaws must be fixed before millions of people are migrated from their legacy benefits on to UC.