SNP: Independent Scotland 'would remove housing benefit from universal credit'

Setting out its independence blueprint today, the party said it would reverse the most ‘damaging’ welfare reforms and also committed to stopping the further roll out of disability benefits changes planned by the Department for Work and Pensions. Inverness became the first Scottish council to operate universal credit yesterday.

Under universal credit, benefits such as housing, child tax credits and jobseeker’s allowance are all bundled into one monthly payment.

The white paper pledged to maintain housing benefit as a separate payment in any longer-term reform and added that it would restore the ability of claimants to receive individual support, rather than single household payments.

The move to paying universal credit as a single household payment has been criticised for disadvantaging women because men are statistically more likely to be the head of a household.

The SNP also said it would halt the further roll out of disability living allowance to personal independence payments across Scotland.

An expert working group is currently examining how the benefits system could move people into work.

A further commitment to abolishing the bedroom tax was included in the white paper, which the SNP said would save 82,500 households in Scotland an average of £50 a month.

The white paper said full flexibility over Scotland’s budget would mean the government could take ‘broader action’ to increase the supply of affordable housing and hinted independence it would mean increased investment in the sector.

‘While the current Scottish Government has chosen to invest these resources in a range of housing initiatives, especially shared equity, other options, such as increased investment in social housing, have not been possible,’ the white paper said.

‘With independence, this government will ensure these limitations are removed so that the most effective investment choices can be made.’