Soaring cost of Holyrood welfare package revealed

‘Take some responsibility for government’

THE cost of the package of benefits to be controlled by Holyrood is increasing at three times the rate of the UK’s welfare spending.

Official figures indicate the huge strain the benefits bill will place on Scottish Government finances.

The Scotland Act gives Holyrood control of a package of 11 welfare powers, including disability living allowance, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance and winter fuel payments.

A study shows spending on these benefits rocketed by 12 per cent, or £290million, over the past five years, to £2.8billion a year.

Over the same period, UK spending on social protection rose by only 4 per cent.

Opponents said the figures prove that the Scottish Government, which has consistently condemned ‘austerity’ measures across the UK, will need to make tough decisions to bring the spending under control in future.

It comes after the Government disclosed this week that Scotland’s ‘net deficit’ was £13.3billion last year. In the past year, UK spending actually decreased for the first time in years, by 0.3 per cent but the cost of the welfare powers being devolved increased by 0.8 per cent north of the Border.

Scottish Conservative social security spokesman Adam Tomkins said: ‘The SNP is about to find out just how difficult it is to create and sustain a welfare system that is fair, affordable and works for everyone.

‘Now the Nationalists have tough decisions to make, it might bring an end to their grievance politics and force them to finally take some responsibility for government.’

Scottish Government figures show that £2.79billion was spent in Scotland on the 11 welfare powers being transferred to Holyrood as part of the Scotland Act 2016.

The figure was 0.8 per cent, or £23million, higher than £2.767billion in 2015-16. Since 201213 the cost of the 11 benefits being devolved has risen by 11.6 per cent, or £290million, from £2.5billion.

In comparison, total ‘social protection’ spending across the UK fell by 0.3 per cent over the last year, to £264.3billion, and has increased by 4.3 per cent since 2012-13, when it was £253.4billion.

Disability living allowance is the new power which costs the most, at £1.2billion, followed by attendance allowance, at £487million, carer’s allowance, at £234million, and winter fuel payments, at £180million.

After the figures on Scotland’s deficit were published, Nicola Sturgeon insisted she would not contemplate following the ‘austerity agenda’ of the UK Government when she makes decisions about welfare spending.

The figures showed that overall net spending per head in Scotland is £1,750 a year higher than the rest of the UK.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are building a social security system with dignity and respect at its heart that ensures everyone gets the financial support they are entitled to.

‘Since 2012-13, total spending on the benefits due to be devolved actually increased at a higher rate across the UK than in Scotland.’