Ahead of this week’s UK government budget, Angela Crawley MP is calling on Tory Chancellor Rishi Sunak to provide the funds needed to lift the cruel benefit cap.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people in Scotland who receive social security and are subject to the cap has sky-rocketed.

Figures released last month by the Scottish Government have revealed that between January 2020 and August 2020, the number of families in Scotland subject to the cap nearly doubled from 3,300 to 6,400.

The true figure could be much higher as the pandemic has hit families across Scotland hard.

Commenting, Angela said:

“Without doubt this pandemic has hit some of the poorest families the most and Rishi Sunak must do all he can to protect jobs and livelihoods with his statement.

“He must also provide funding to help families get back on their feet and ensure people can access all of the financial support they are entitled to. Ensuring the DWP lifts the benefit cap, and the abhorrent rape clause, to provide families with the vital support they need will go a long way in doing that.

“The benefit cap is a cruel, callous and uncaring Tory policy that disadvantages some of the poorest families. I would urge the Chancellor to make significant funding available to ensure this policy can go on no longer.

“If he does not then he will continue to the tale of two governments as in Scotland we are building a social security system based on fairness, dignity and respect which does not include punishing policies like the bedroom tax and rape clause.

“Many families in Scotland will have been forced further into poverty because of Sunak’s unwillingness to fill the gaps in his support schemes, so the true figure of the number of people subject to the cap will be much higher.

“In May, the people of Scotland will have a choice, to either put their future into the hands of Boris Johnson’s Tories or put their future into their own hands with a post-pandemic referendum.”