WIREDGOV

Housing and Communities Minister, Alex Neil has responded to Welfare Reform plans unveiled by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith.

Mr Neil said:

"Many of the measures in the UK Government's Bill will penalise the poor.

"The welfare system needs to be more streamlined but cuts being introduced now are penalising the very people we should be protecting.

"Thousands of families and in Scotland are going to feel the full force of savage welfare cuts by the UK government, on top of the rises in VAT and inflation.

"In Scotland we have established a Welfare Reform Scrutiny Group, bringing together national and local government with third sector groups to go through the impact of these changes on vulnerable people with a fine toothcomb.

"We will take the strongest possible case to the UK government to think again.

"The Scottish Government is protecting household budgets with innovative home-grown policies such as school clothing grants, freezing council tax, free heating help and abolishing prescription charges.

"The important thing now is for Scotland to have more powers to boost our strategy for economic growth and help people back into work, for example through control over Job Centre Plus so we can streamline health, employment and training services."