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UK MPs told to help Scottish tenants with social energy tariff
Scottish housing associations have urged the UK government to introduce a social energy tariff to combat the cost of living crisis.
In a report, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) said that social tenants in Scotland are skipping meals, disconnecting their energy supplies, and cutting back on visiting friends and family to make ends meet.
It cited a recent survey of 700 West of Scotland Housing Association tenants, which found that 86% felt worse off than this time last year, while 95% said they were struggling with the costs of putting food on the table and heating their home.
As of September 2023, only 8% of social tenants felt as though the cost of living crisis was easing.
A total of 85% of those surveyed found that the crisis has had an adverse impact on their health, with two-thirds of them also saying their mental health had worsened.
Two in five tenants admitted to skipping meals, while 28% are cutting back on fruit and vegetables.
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Almost half (48%) of social tenants believe the cost of living situation has negatively affected the development of their children.
Some tenants living with diabetes are unable to afford the food required to manage their condition, SFHA said, while others who require specialist medical equipment cannot afford to power their devices.
The landlords called on the government to end the five-week wait for Universal Credit and to support social tenants with a direct energy cost intervention.
The membership body also said that ministers should introduce a discounted social energy tariff to support vulnerable customers.
Sally Thomas, chief executive of the SFHA, said: “It is simply not right that in one of the world’s richest economies, we have so many people facing the level of need uncovered here. And we have to be clear: this is a direct result of political choices.”
She pointed out that over 70% of social tenants in Scotland receive some form of social security, so “if people cannot feed their families or heat their homes, then it’s clear that the system is not fit for purpose”.
Ms Thomas continued: “Reforming Universal Credit and introducing a social tariff for energy are measures that the UK government could take now, and as we head into another difficult winter, the need has never been more urgent.”
David Linden, SNP MP for Glasgow East, said: “In parliament I have consistently called for the UK government to introduce essentials guarantee that would provide social security claimants with a minimum income, protecting people from not being able to afford essentials like food, household bills and travel costs.
“As well as continuing to call for the reintroduction of the £400 energy bill rebate, immediate action must be taken to tackle the soaring food prices, similar to policies we currently see being introduced in France.”
He added: “The UK government can and must go further to help mitigate the worst effects of the cost of living crisis, and I hope that this report reinforces the need for them to act sooner, rather than later.”
A UK government spokesperson said: “We recognise the cost-of-living challenges families are facing and we spent £40 billion paying around half a typical household’s energy bill last winter.
“Energy prices are falling, and our Energy Price Guarantee remains in place to protect people until April next year. We’re also continuing to support the most vulnerable, with three million households expected to benefit from the £150 Warm Home Discount, up to £900 for those on means-tested benefits, and we have uprated Universal Credit by 6.7%.”
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We welcome this report’s conclusion that while the Scottish government is reducing the impact of the cost of living crisis on tenants, UK government decisions are compounding a difficult situation.
“We support the call for the UK government to tackle long waits for Universal Credit, remove the two-child limit, and lift the benefit cap.
“Our emergency Cost of Living Act has led the way at a time when rents have been rising across the UK, stabilising rents to help tenants to stay in their homes and having doubled the Fuel Insecurity Fund last year to £20m, we have tripled it to £30m this year.
“Social rented sector tenants are protected by the voluntary agreement reached with social landlords on below-inflation rent increases for this financial year.”
