By Lucy Ashton
Scottish Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP today said disabled people are paying the price of the SNP/Green Government’s failure to use the full powers of devolution after it was revealed how their asking the DWP to run systems is hitting the value of disability benefits.
As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, new Scottish Liberal Democrat analysis shows:
- Disability benefits in Scotland are increasing by as little as 75p per week.
- Disability benefits are up to £135.20 lower this year than they could have been had the SNP/Green Government completed the devolution of powers.
The SNP/Green Government has an agency agreement with the Department for Work & Pensions that still sees the DWP run disability benefits for Scotland – more than seven years after the Smith Commission paved the way for devolution.
It means that at this critical moment in the cost of living crisis, with the OBR now expecting inflation to reach 9% later this year, disability benefits in Scotland are only going up 3.1%.
Willie Rennie MSP, pictured right, said: “People with disabilities often have equipment such as electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters which gobble up electricity. With fuel prices soaring, those people face real hardship. The decision to only raise disability benefits by 3.1% will push more people into poverty.
“We have called for the UK Government to raise disability benefits but it is not good enough for the SNP/Green government to say it has to move with the UK Government on this.
“People were promised a better system seven years ago, yet Scottish ministers continue to ask the DWP to run the system because the Scottish Government is still not ready. That is a huge failure by the Scottish Government to use the full powers of devolution.”
The Scottish Liberal Democrat analysis shows the impact of the 3.1% change in the rate of disability benefits in 2022/23, passed by the SNP/Green Government, compared to what a 6% uplift could have achieved if the Scottish Government had been ready to run these benefits:
| Payment | Effect of the 3.1% uplift resulting from the SNP/Green agreement with the DWP | Uplift if it had been 6% in line with other devolved benefits |
| Child Disability Payment mobility component higher rate | £1.95 per week £101.40 per year |
£3.75 per week£195 per year |
| Child Disability Payment mobility component lower rate | £0.75 per week£39 per year | £1.42 per week£73.84 per year |
| Child Disability Payment care component highest rate | £2.80 per week£145.60 per year | £5.40 per week£280.80 per year |
| Child Disability Payment care component middle rate | £1.85 per week£96 per year | £3.60 per week£187.20 per year |
| Child Disability Payment care component lowest rate | £0.75 per week£39 per year | £1.42 per week£73.84 per year |
| Adult Disability Payment daily living component standard rate | £1.85 per week£96 per year | £3.60 per week£187.20 per year |
| Adult Disability Payment daily living component enhanced rate | £2.80 per week£145.60 per year | £5.40 per week£280.80 per year |
| Adult Disability Payment mobility component standard rate | £0.75 per week£39 per year | £1.42 per week£73.84 per year |
| Adult Disability Payment mobility component enhanced rate | £1.95 per week £101.40 per year |
£3.75 per week£195 per year |
This is the press release confirming that the Scottish Government will lift a number of devolved benefits by 6%, but not disability benefits because these are still administered by the DWP for the Scottish Government under an agency agreement.
“Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment will still increase by 3.1% in line with the equivalent benefits (Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment) which are still administered by DWP under agency agreement.”
The Scottish Government policy note on the SSI, including information on the current and future rates, is here.
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