BANISHING THE UNDER-OCCUPANCY PENALTY IN SCOTLAND

That this House congratulates the Scottish Government on its decision to cover the full cost of the under-occupancy penalty in Scotland with support from opposition parties; notes the highly destructive, cruel and pernicious effect that the under-occupancy penalty has had on some of the most vulnerable members of society; calls on the Government to reverse this cut to housing benefit and combat spiralling housing costs through rent caps in areas of high rental costs and increased investment in social housing; and further calls on the Welsh Government to follow Scotland's example and stand up for those affected by the under-occupancy penalty by implementing a no evictions policy and covering the full cost of housing benefit cuts.