Tories vow to cap Scottish child payment to tackle ‘bloated benefits bill’

The flagship Scottish child payment should only be given to the first two children in a family, the Conservatives have said.

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said not allowing low-income families to claim the benefit for more than two youngsters is a “fair reasonable and necessary measure”.

Claiming Scotland’s “bloated benefits bill is unaffordable”, he argued that allowing families to claim the payment for all their children has enabled some parents to reduce their hours at work, “or even quit work altogether”.

The Tories insist capping the payment – currently set at £27.15 a week for every eligible child – would improve incentives for work for families.

A benefits policy paper unveiled by the party in the run-up to May’s Holyrood election said: “The Scottish Conservatives would introduce a two-child limit so that the payment would only be paid out for the first two children a couple have – in order to save taxpayers’ money and improve incentives to work more.”

It comes as spending on the Scottish child payment alone is estimated to be around £470 million a year – with the latest Scottish Budget proposing an increase in the payment to £40 a week for infants under 12 months.

Mr Findlay said: “Our country is blessed to have a social security system that helps people in genuine need, but the benefits bill has spiralled out of control under the SNP.

“We are the only party being straight with the paying public by saying that Scotland’s bloated benefits bill is unaffordable, unfair and unsustainable.”

He added there is “worrying new evidence” showing many of those receiving the payment “work less or even quit work altogether because they’re financially better off by claiming this SNP benefit”.

Mr Findlay continued: “With costs of the Scottish child payment set to hit over half a billion pounds in coming years, we believe the time has come to limit the benefit to a couple’s first two children.

“This is a fair, reasonable and necessary measure.”

The pledge to cap the Scottish child payment to two children is part of what Mr Findlay hailed as a “bold new social security paper”.

Claiming that spending on benefits in Scotland will be “almost £10 billion” a year by the end of this decade, the paper declared: “The SNP are spending too much on benefits, taking too much from taxpayers – and disincentivising work.”

The Tories also plan to introduce new assessments for those claiming benefits on mental health grounds, saying the changes could save taxpayers £1 billion.

The party is also pledging to end “light-touch reviews” of benefit recipients’ payments, arguing people should no longer be able to “just tick a box to stay on benefits”.

Face-to-face reviews would be brought in for some claimants, with people asked to prove they still meet the criteria for payments.

The Tories also propose to open a benefit fraud unit within Social Security Scotland – the organisation responsible for devolved benefits such as the Scottish child payment and adult disability payment.

The organisation has “reported just 29 cases of fraud in two-and-a-half years”, the paper said, “meaning that hundreds or possibly thousands of fraud cases are slipping through the cracks”.

The Tories would also bring in new legislative powers to recover fraudulently claimed benefits.

Mr Findlay insisted the approach outlined by his party is “in sharp contrast to every other party at Holyrood”, saying the paper shows the Conservatives have “detailed plans to rein in the SNP’s welfare spending and deliver value for taxpayers”.

Tory social security spokesman Alexander Stewart said: “It should never be the case that any benefit is a barrier to work, but that is precisely what is happening on the SNP’s watch.

“The SNP have allowed Scotland’s benefits bill to spiral out of control, which is trapping many people in a life on benefits or leaving them in a position where it would be a disadvantage for them to accept a pay rise.

“While we are firmly committed to providing crucial safety nets, our plans show that we can take a different path on welfare. It is time to give people a hand up, rather than handouts.”

The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.