MSPs back benefits agency Bill despite cost fears

AN AGENCY that will run Scotland’s benefits system was yesterday approved by MSPs despite concerns the cost of setting it up remains unknown.

The quango will have responsibility for around £3billion of social security payments, which are being devolved from Westminster to Holyrood.

MSPs voted unanimously to back the Social Security (Scotland) Bill at Holyrood last night, but ministers were urged to keep costs under control.

Last month, a report by the Auditor General for Scotland said ministers could not put a final cost on the agency and warned it would be challenging to recruit staff and ‘difficult’ to get the systems set up to deliver benefits by summer 2019.

Following yesterday’s debate, Jeremy Balfour, welfare reform spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: ‘The SNP has previously wasted millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and created enormous confusion with new IT systems.

‘Therefore the recent warnings from the Auditor General regarding staffing levels must not be taken lightly.’

Responsibility for 11 benefits is being transferred to Scotland.

Labour last night failed in a bid to increase child benefit by £5 after the other main parties voted against the move.

Mark Griffin, the party’s social security spokesman, said: ‘That would have lifted 30,000 children out of poverty with the stroke of a pen.

‘But instead of backing Labour’s plans to make Scotland fairer, the SNP has joined forces with the Tories to vote it down. That is unacceptable.’

‘Previously wasted millions’