Benefit shake-up spurs aid appeals

The number of hard-pressed Dundonians who have had to seek emergency help from the council has increased more than tenfold since controversial benefit changes were introduced.

In 2017-18 Dundee City Council was forced to spend more than £2.5 million mitigating the effects of changes to benefits such as the “bedroom tax” and the switch to Universal Credit, which replaced earlier payments such as housing benefit, tax credits and unemployment benefit.

Dundee City Council leader John Alexander condemned the “erosion and dismantling of social security at a UK level” and revealed it was now costing the council about £94m annually. The SNP councillor said: “This report shows the real cost of the UK Government’s pigheaded determination to punish the most vulnerable people in our society. This erosion and dismantling of social security at a UK level has real consequences.

“Facts and figures are one thing but when we are faced with real families in real hardship, having to use foodbanks and struggling to keep a roof over their heads, it is very clear that this is punishing those it’s meant to support.”

A report to go before the council’s policy and resources committee next Monday lays bare the impact of benefit reforms on some of Dundee’s poorest residents. It states that rent arrears for households on Universal Credit are 54% higher than the arrears of those on other benefits.

The number of applications for financial assistance received by the city council since the UK Government’s welfare reform changes were introduced has increased from 339 in 2012-13 to nearly 5,000 in 2017-18 – an increase of about 1,400%.

In 2017-18, the council spent £314,590.84 to mitigate the effects of the benefit cap and £1,957,350.84 on reducing the impact of the bedroom tax.

Another £340,218.56 was spent providing emergency funds to those in poverty during the last financial year.

Eleven benefits – said to be worth about £2.7 billion a year – are being devolved under the Scotland Bill.

The Department for Work and Pensions has defended the introduction of Universal Credit, despite widespread criticisms.

It has insisted the benefit is helping more people move into work faster and stay in jobs longer.

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John Alexander.