A row has broken out over another delay in the transfer of disability benefits to Holyrood.
An extension means the UK-wide DWP could end up delivering the disability living allowance and other payments for an extra three years until 2026.
Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said: "The relationship between Scotland's two governments has descended into chaos once again, leaving the SNP's promise to deliver a fairer, functioning Scottish social security system in tatters. Every day that this programme is delayed is another day that disabled people and carers are left at the mercy of a Tory-run DWP".
Following the independence referendum, new devolved powers gave the Scottish Parliament control of £2.8bn of social security spending.
Although some benefits are under the control of the devolved Social Security Scotland, delays have hampered the complex programme in others areas.
According to BBC Scotland, the DWP agreed following recent talks to keep delivering DLA to some people in Scotland until March 2026. An extension also applies to attendance allowance, severe disablement allowance and payments for industrial injuries.
It was reported that the DWP's ability to provide the personal independence payment and carers allowance in Scotland will go on until March 2025. The UK Government has also agreed to keep the Social Fund open so the DWP can deliver Winter Fuel Payments for Scottish customers in 2023/24.
A letter by UK Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride to Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said the delay came with “caveats”. He said: “I want to be clear that there should be no further slippage and that any changes to this plan, including unexpected delays or the introduction of additional requirements or benefits into the timetable would create significant delivery risks.”
The move is controversial as critics have accused the DWP of pushing through harsh policies to limit benefit claims. Duncan-Glancy said: “For years the SNP have rightly blasted this callous Tory system, but their decision to keep handing powers back to the DWP exposes this as nothing but hollow rhetoric. The SNP government have the powers to fix this – they just need to use them.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government, which will set out a timetable for delivery this afternoon, said: "This is and has always been a joint programme of delivery between both governments. The Scottish government has worked with the UK government to ensure that plans for the transfer of benefits were deliverable both for the UK government and the Scottish government.
"Both governments needed to pause some work to respond to the pandemic, so the original programme of work needed to be replanned. Despite the pandemic, we are now delivering 12 Scottish government social security benefits to one million people, seven of which are entirely new forms of financial support which are only available only in Scotland including the Scottish Child Payment."
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
