CARERS in Scotland are missing are missing out on millions of pounds because new Holyrood powers on social security have not been used to deliver a promised increase in allowances, ministers were warned.
All parties at Holyrood supported an increase in carer’s allowance to the same level as jobseeker’s allowance at last year's election.
However, Labour MSP Mark Griffin said ministers had failed to use powers that were devolved last September to top-up carer’s allowance to that level.
However the Government hit back, denying that it had the powers to do it and accusing Griffin of a "disgraceful distortion" and causing "unnecessary distress for carers".
Griffin argues that an increase would be worth an extra £600 a year for carers, who would already be £250 better off today if ministers had started using the powers when they were introduced.
The Central Scotland MSP said figures obtained by his party showed 67,500 of Scotland’s carers have missed out on a total of £17.4 million.
He said: “There is cross-party support for this policy. No party in the Scottish Parliament would have stood in the way of the SNP had they delivered it when they had the chance. Instead ministers are dragging their feet and carers are missing out."
However, a spokesperson for Scotland's social security minister Jeane Freeman said Holyrood needed the cooperation of the UK's Department for Work and Pensions to top up benefits.
The minister's spokesperson said: “This is a disgraceful distortion of the situation regarding social security devolution. As a member of the social security committee, Mark Griffin knows full well that we cannot top-up the benefit without the co-operation and agreement of the DWP to do so.
“Mark Griffin is also well aware that we cannot deliver devolved benefits until we have the powers transferred, the legislation scrutinised and agreed by the Scottish Parliament, and the delivery infrastructure in place – that process is long-established and unchanged.
“As this remains a key policy area for us, we asked the DWP to carry out a feasibility study into how they could take this policy forward on behalf of the Scottish Government which they have agreed to do.
“The SNP Government will be proud to deliver this uplift in Carers’ Allowance as soon as we are able to do so – it is deeply disappointing that Labour would seek to cause unnecessary distress for carers in this way.”
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