Free prescription value to Highlands flagged amidst ‘damning’ Trussell Trust report on universal credit impact
THE damaging impact on households struggling on universal credit of “cruel” DWP policies is being highlighted by a Ross-shire MSP keen to stress the vital importance of free prescriptions in Scottish healthcare.
Figures show that in the Highlands, the average person receives 19 free prescriptions per year, saving £183.35 per person.
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP, Maree Todd, has highlighted the latest report from the Trussell Trust which she says shows how vital the SNP-introduced policy of free prescriptions is to the people of Scotland.
The Trussell Trust report on people receiving universal credit “is a damning assessment of the damage “cruel DWP policies are having on people, including those in work”.
The report found that 68 per cent of working households receiving universal credit have gone without essentials such as prescription medication. In Scotland, everyone, regardless of income status, has free access to prescriptions.
Maree Todd said: “Free prescriptions are a vital part of the social contract the SNP has with people across the Highlands – no matter what your income status is it is essential that you have access to medical treatment.
“This Trussell Trust report indicates exactly how vital a policy this is as over two-thirds of working households receiving universal credit are having to go without essential items such as toiletries and prescriptions.
“The Tories left behind a legacy of cruel social security decisions and it is time for this Labour UK government to get a move on and start supporting those most in need, which is exactly what the SNP is doing in Scotland.”
The campaigning magazine The Big Issue has produced a detailed report on the latest Trussell research.
