We call on the UK Government to follow the Scottish Government’s lead to protect and enhance the social security safety net.Table 1 below provides a breakdown of spending to mitigate UK Government policy decisions in the last five years, plus the forecast spend for the current financial year (six years in total).Table 1: breakdown of spending on UK Government welfare mitigation (2020-21 - 2025-26) 2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26Total (£m)DHP bedroom tax budget£59.70£71.30£68.10£69.70£74.84£79.70£423.34DHP benefit cap budget £6.155£7.75£9.45£23.35DHP “Other”£18.901£10.90£16.002£7.90£7.90£10.9010£72.50DHP admin funding£1.20£1.20£1.703£2.20£2.20£2.20£10.70Scottish Welfare Fund£57.50£35.50£38.004£35.50£53.007£40.9711£260.47Scottish Welfare Fund admin funding£5.50£5.50£5.50£5.50£8.008£5.50£35.50Money advice services£1.50£1.50£0.70See note 6 below £3.70Universal Credit Scottish choices£0.20£0.10£0.10£0.13£0.169See note 12 below£0.69Total cost of mitigating UK Government welfare reform£144.50£126.00£130.10£127.08£153.85£148.72£830.251.Figure includes additional £8m of Covid support funds.2.Figure includes additional £2.6m for benefit cap support and £2.5m cost of living support.3.Figure includes £0.5m additional admin funding paid for benefit cap policy roll-out preparation.4.Figure includes £2.5m to support delivery of the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2022-23.5.Prior to 2023-24 benefit cap funding was included in the DHP ”Other” line.6.From 2018 to late 2022, The Scottish Government allocated funding from its overall welfare and debt advice budget for specific advice relating to UKG welfare reforms.