Scotland's Pensioners Need a Winter Fuel Allowance Increase

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS 24.6% REAL TERMS DROP IN VALUE SINCE 2000
The SNP has today highlighted the need for a rise in Winter Fuel Allowance (WFA) for Scotland’s pensioners so they feel safe in the knowledge that they can afford to heat their homes this Christmas and New Year.

New research from the Scottish Parliament Library reveals the UK Government's freeze on the basic payment level since 2000-01 by both Labour and Tory governments has resulted in the value dropping by 24.6% in real terms.

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford said Westminster must now make a commitment to transfer the powers over the WFA at once or commit to ensuring it keeps pace with the cost of living by increasing it in line with inflation.

Commenting, Eilidh said:

“This is just the latest example of Westminster’s sustained attack on the poor – and this time it is Scotland’s poorer pensioners who are the victims of Tory and Labour neglect.

“Many pensioners in Scotland live on small and modest earnings – the winter fuel allowance is a vital payment and it exits to try and make sure they don’t have to compromise between paying for groceries or heating their homes during the winter months.

“Energy bills have increased by over 37% since 2000-01 and if winter fuel allowance had increased by inflation since 2000-01, pensioners would be £76 better off in 2014-15 than they are.

“The transfer of control of the winter fuel allowance - as recommended by the Smith Commission - is welcome but without any clear timetabling of when this will happen we need immediate action to make sure not one pensioner in Scotland is afraid to put their heating on this winter.

“If this Smith Commission recommendation is not passed over with immediate effect then Westminster must in the near future increase the payment in line with inflation.

“The SNP will continue to campaign for full powers on welfare and pensions and will use these to make Scotland a fairer, more prosperous place, we will argue at next year’s general election to argue for full welfare and pension powers to be transferred to Scotland - to ensure our older people get a fair deal.”

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Whiteford and Stevenson Deliver Festive Cheer to Local Post Office

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford and Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson visited Royal Mail’s Banff Delivery Office to pass on Christmas wishes and thanks to our postmen and women at this, their busiest time of the year.

MSP & MP with Gerald Duncan and Calum Tawse

The MP and MSP were shown around the sorting process by Banff Delivery Office Manager, Ian Jackson, and met the postmen and women who are working hard doing their bit to sort and deliver cards and parcels in the Banff area this Christmas.

Commenting on Royal Mail’s work at Christmas Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“I really value the opportunity to catch up with our hard working Royal Mail postmen and women in delivery offices each Christmas and witness first hand just how much effort is put into delivering for people at this time of year.

“We all rely very heavily on the Royal Mail, especially so at Christmas, and I would like to thank them for their commitment and wish them all the best over the busy festive period.”

Stewart Stevenson MSP added:

“Our postmen and women are working extremely hard to deliver Christmas cards, letters and parcels to people across the Banff area. It was our pleasure to drop in to see the workers, wish them well for Christmas, and deliver some festive cheer with a couple of boxes of chocolates."

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Fishing Champion MP Welcomes Scottish Quota Gains

The SNP’s Spokesperson on Fisheries at Westminster, Dr. Eilidh Whiteford, has welcomed the outcome of the December Fisheries Council which has resulted in key quota gains for the Scottish fishing industry.

A freeze on proposed cuts to days fishermen can go to sea and gains in key quotas were two of the main wins for Scotland as a package for the next 12 months was agreed this week by EU Fishing Ministers.

The deal will see significant increases for the Scottish industry in key quotas such as monkfish, prawns, West Coast haddock and Rockall haddock. Initial estimates by the Scottish Government suggest that the quota deal will be worth an additional £10 million to the Scottish whitefish and prawn fleets.

Dr Whiteford, whose constituency has some of the most fishing-dependent communities in Europe, commented:

“The increase in quota is a welcome gain for the Scottish fleet and I commend Richard Lochhead and his negotiating team for winning such favourable concessions. These negotiations have resulted in increases in quota in 8 out of 10 of the most valuable North Sea and West Coast stocks – that will be a welcome economic boost not just for our fishing fleet but for our processors and the coastal communities in which they are rooted.”

“I also hope that these increases in quota and a freeze on the cuts to days at sea will help ease the burden of implementing the landing obligation, which starts to come into effect in January for parts of the fleet. Our industry has been straining to make the point that this discard ban will be very difficult to implement in mixed fisheries and I hope that some progress can be made on finding a workable way forward.”

Earlier this month, the Banff & Buchan MP used her speech in the House of Common’s annual fisheries debate to demand a consistent enforcement regime for all vessels subject to the discard ban, including non-EU boats fishing in Scottish waters, and warned of the need to move beyond single species quotas to make the landing obligation workable in a mixed fishery.

Dr. Whiteford also put on record a tribute to the lost crew of the Fraserburgh-registered Ocean Way, which sank off the coast of Northumberland earlier this year.

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Bedroom Tax Vote Shows Why Welfare Powers Should be in Scotland's Hands

WESTMINSTER’S ‘SHAMEFUL’ TRACK RECORD ON WELFARE CONDEMNED
The SNP is today reiterating its call for the full devolution of the welfare system to Scotland – after the House of Commons voted to uphold the unfair Bedroom Tax.

In a vote in the House of Commons today, the SNP backed calls to finally end the iniquitous measure which hits some of the most vulnerable people in society– but were outvoted by the Tories and the Scottish Lib Dems who didn’t even show face in the Chamber of the House of Commons to defend their Government’s record.

Commenting after the vote, SNP Work and Pensions Spokesperson Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“Today’s vote is another shameful episode in Westminster’s appalling record on welfare. The Bedroom Tax is an iniquitous measure which has a disproportionate impact on disabled people – and should be completely abolished as soon as possible.

“That the Lib Dems voted against the motion along with their Tory allies despite claiming to now oppose the Bedroom Tax is nothing less than a scandal – and won’t be forgotten by the people of Scotland at the election in May.

“It’s clear that people in Scotland can’t trust any of the Westminster parties on welfare – while Labour now say they oppose the Bedroom Tax, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Ed Miliband barred Scottish Labour from speaking out against it for a whole year.

“In Scotland, the SNP has taken real action to mitigate the impact of the Bedroom Tax – but the idea that the Scottish Government should have to spend tens of millions of pounds protect some of our most vulnerable people from a policy people in Scotland completely reject is absurd.

“Today’s vote only confirms what was already abundantly clear – that the Westminster establishment simply can’t be trusted on welfare and is committed to continuing its relentless and sustained assault on vulnerable people.

“This is exactly why full powers over welfare should be in Scotland’s hands rather than in the hands of people like Iain Duncan Smith – to allow us to use the welfare state to protect and support vulnerable people, rather than as a weapon with which to attack some of the poorest people in society.”

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