Moray SNP News

MP ROBERTSON - TORY U-TURN ON CARERS' ALLOWANCE

Moray MP Angus Robertson has said the DWP's decision to exempt carers from the benefit cap is ‘long overdue’ and the Tories must fully investigate the impact of future policies before implementing changes.

The DWP's controversial benefit cap, which limits the amount of support any one household can receive, was introduced across the UK in 2013 but following a legal challenge from two adult carers a High Court judge ruled last year that the cap "indirectly discriminated against disabled people".

The DWP announced this week that those claiming carer's allowance would be exempt from the benefit cap.

Commenting, local MP Angus Robertson said:

“The original decision by the UK Government to include Carers Allowance in the benefit cap clearly discriminated against both the carer and the person being cared for.

“Making a u-turn now is entirely the right decision and I am pleased that claimants of Carers Allowance will be exempt from the benefit cap but, sadly for far too many, this announcement comes too late.

“It should not have taken a legal challenge for the Tories to realise the damage their policies are inflicting on disabled people or for a High Court judge to determine that including carers in the benefits cap actually has a negative impact on the people they look after. I would have thought that should have been pretty obvious to them.

"The SNP will always work to protect people and those who care for them from the Tories' punitive and damaging cuts. With the welfare powers that are being devolved to Scotland, the SNP will take positive action in stark contrast to that of the Tories, including beginning to increase Carers Allowance to the level of JSA and removing the 84 day rule for Carers Allowance and DLA."