By Bill Heaney
Scottish Labour has renewed calls for the SNP to set out a plan to protect vulnerable Scots over winter – dedspite the UK government having scrapped the winter fuel payment.
Today (Thursday 28) the Scottish Government will give a Parliamentary statement on ‘Supporting Older People with Increasing Energy Costs’.
Scottish Labour has said the SNP must use this statement to make two key pledges:
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It must commit to spending the full £41 million consequentials on support for vulnerable households this winter.
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It must pledge expand eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments from at least next year.
The SNP government received £41 million of Barnett Consequentials from the UK government’s decision to extend the Household Support Fund – however, it has repeatedly refused to say whether it will spend this money providing support this winter.
The SNP’s position on this appears to be simply to embarrass Labour on a contentious matter which has seen the Scottish and England arms of the government at odds with each other.
In previous years the SNP has failed to pass this funding on, instead relying on it to plug budget gaps elsewhere.
Scottish Labour has lodged a series of amendments to the upcoming Social Security Bill to reinstate Winter Fuel Payments for the majority of pensioners from next year onwards.
Scottish Labour Social Security spokesperson Paul O’Kane said: “Too many Scots are worried about how they are going to make ends meet this winter, but it has been radio silence from the SNP.
“The SNP must pledge that every single penny of the £41 million it received for winter support will reach those who need it.
“It would be a disgrace if the SNP raids this lifeline funding to plug the budget blackhole it created through its reckless mismanagement of public finances.
“We also have an opportunity to use the money and the powers we have in Scotland to reinstate Winter Fuel Payments for thousands of Scots from next year.
“Labour has delivered record levels of funding for Scotland despite the financial turmoil the Tories left behind – the SNP must spend it well.
“The SNP must step up and use the money and the powers it has to protect struggling Scots this winter.”
Never have I read about such poltical nonsense.
Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party chopped the heating allowance to over 10,000, 000 pensioners.
And now, in Scotland Labour are saying that the SNP should mitigate this and pay heating allowance.
The barefaced affrontery of this is incredible.