Maree Todd MSP emphasises the importance of SNP free prescription policy
After a new report came out, the SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Maree Todd, highlighted the importance of free prescriptions during the cost of living crisis.
MS Todd noted that 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 in the UK receiving universal credit have gone without essentials such as prescription medication. This does not apply in Scotland, where under the SNP Government, everyone, regardless of income status, has free access to prescriptions.
In the Highlands, the average person receives 19 free prescriptions per year, saving £183.35 per person.
Commenting, Maree Todd MSP 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.”
