Tories challenge First Minister over Scotland’s ‘bloated benefits bill’

John Swinney has refused to rule out making changes to disability benefits that Tories warned would add an extra £1 billion to Scotland’s social security bill.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay challenged the First Minister on the issue, saying a report for government ministers “astonishingly” suggested that people should still get the Adult Disability Payment even if their condition was not said to be not serious enough to meet the criteria for it.

“Implementing this report would add another £1 billion to the SNP’s already bloated benefits bill,” the Tory leader said.

He raised the issue at First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood on Thursday in the wake of a report from the Scottish Fiscal Commission which warned more than one million Scots could be in receipt of disability benefits by the end of the next Holyrood term in 2031.

Mr Swinney insisted that “the Government has not taken any decisions about these particular issues”.

But he said the question showed that “once again Russell Findlay has come into this Parliament to go after disabled people in our country”.

The First Minister added: “While Russell Findlay goes after the benefits of disabled people, my Government will stand shoulder to shoulder with disabled people in society, and support them with their journey into employment and into activity.”

His comments came as the the Scottish Conservative leader challenged him at First Minister’s Questions in Scotland, with Mr Findlay arguing the Government must reduce benefits spending “so we can cut taxes”.

However, the Tory said the “deeply irresponsible” Scottish Budget – which was passed by MSPs on Wednesday – “does nothing whatsoever to address their benefits timebomb”.

Hitting out at Scotland’s higher income tax rates, Mr Findlay blasted: “Hardworking Scots struggling with the cost of living are already forced to pay £1.8 billion more each year in SNP income tax – that’s £1.8 billion more than if they did the same job for the same wage elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

“And that’s the only reason John Swinney can fund his benefits spending.”

The Scottish Conservative leader argued: “This Government should get people off benefits and into work because that is how you improve people’s lives.

“But, instead, the SNP hammers workers and businesses to pay for its expensive benefits.”

Mr Swinney, however, insisted that the Government’s spending on social security was both “fair and affordable”.

Scotland’s social security system was set up “to ensure that people who require that support are treated with dignity, fairness and respect”, the SNP leader said.

He also said that while higher earners in Scotland “pay slightly more in taxation”, the majority of workers “pay less in taxation than if they lived in other parts of the United Kingdom”.

Mr Swinney also stressed Scots could also benefit from measures introduced by the Government, such as free prescriptions and free university tuition, as well as more recent measures such as the abolition of peak-time rail fares.

Overall, the First Minister told MSPs: “I think the Government’s approach in its Budget and in its social security expenditure is fair and affordable.”