The UK government has suffered a humiliating High Court defeat over their welfare policy – with the government guilty of causing “real misery” for “no good purpose”.
The High Court ruling found that applying the benefit cap to lone parents with children under two is unlawful and discriminatory, after a judicial review brought by four lone parent families.
The revised benefit cap, introduced by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016, drastically reduced housing benefits, leaving lone parent families across the country unable to afford basic life necessities to care for their children.
Mr Justice Collins has ruled that the application of the revised benefit cap to lone parents with children under two amounts to unlawful discrimination and that “real damage” is being caused to the Claimants and families like theirs across the country.
Commenting, SNP MSP Sandra White said:
“This is an absolutely damning result that highlights the real human impact of the Tories’ austerity agenda.
“Theresa May and her government should be ashamed. Their obsession with making low-income families bear the burden of austerity is having a real human cost – and for no good reason.
“This judgement should be a wake-up call for the Tories – and they should listen to the SNP’s plan to end austerity.”
