The most deprived areas in Scotland will take the biggest financial hit when the present welfare reforms come into effect. This is the conclusion of research commissioned by the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee.
The study, undertaken by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, has estimated that when fully implemented, the welfare reforms will take more than £1.6 billion a year out of the Scottish economy. This is equivalent to around £480 a year for every adult of working age in Scotland. In Glasgow, this rises to £650 a year.