People are are being pushed deeper into poverty by “draconian” welfare reforms, according to a team of Tayside benefits advisers.
Strict “sanctions” can see some claimants denied payments for up to 13 weeks, forcing them to rely on food parcels.
And the number of successful appeals by people thrown off benefits has fallen dramatically in the last two years.
Angus Council’s welfare rights manager George Meechan helps ensure people get the benefits they are entitled to.
He said: “About 70% of our work is appeals. Our success rate was about 75% so to us that meant that 75% of people who were refused should have had it in the first place.
“Our success rate has gone down to around 50%. The reason for that is the changes to rules for benefit the qualifying conditions, if you like. It’s much harder to win an appeal because of the welfare reforms.
“I’ve been doing this for 28 years. This is the biggest change I’ve seen. Now it’s much, much harder. People are being forced off benefits and there’s nothing they can do.”
Mr Meechan say poverty levels are now “as bad as the 1980s” while colleague Fiona Wilson compares it to the 1930s, before British economist Lord Beveridge wrote an influential report which formed the basis for the welfare state.
Ms Wilson said: “If people get sanctioned they’ll have no money. The first sanction is two weeks or four weeks. If they break the rules again they’re sanctioned for 13 weeks. You’re talking about someone potentially without money for that length of time.
“They can go on to hardship payment, which is a reduced amount, but they don’t actually get that payment for the first two weeks unless they’re vulnerable. If they don’t come under the vulnerable category they don’t get any money, hence that’s why we’ve got the food banks. There are people who don’t have any electricity.
“It’s draconian. It’s harsh and we now have less power to do anything about it. It’s black and white.
“They’re very strict, whereas if you were working in welfare rights in the 1980s there was things that you could offer. There were safety nets for people and you could advise people of those safety nets.”
The welfare rights team also support people who have a job but find themselves in poverty due to low wages.
Mr Meechan said: “It’s getting harder and harder, whether you’re on benefits or a low income. It’s a difficult place to be at the moment. You can be in-work poor.
“You could have a couple of kids or a partner who’s disabled or a child who’s disabled. Or you could be in debt. A lot of people who are working are overstretched. They’re trying to make ends meet on a small income.”