There's a few articles like this knocking about. Note that the Scottish Government saying that they want the DWP to say that the grant wouldn't affect benefit payments, and then they would change the rules for the grant.
Suspect the claim that 50 per cent of drivers ineligible because they've claimed benefits is a bit exaggerated, though.
Edinburgh cabbie warns 'kick in the teeth' grant won't help half of taxi drivershttps://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/ed ... h-19650486An Edinburgh cabbie has said as many as 50 per cent of drivers could be unable to claim for a new Scottish Goverment fund to support taxi driversA new Scottish Government fund to support taxi drivers could be inaccessible to as many as 50 per cent of the trade, an Edinburgh cabbie has claimed.
Andy Taylor said the £1,500 grant was welcome, but questioned eligibility criteria which appears to rule out anyone who had claimed sick pay or Universal Credit.
Eligibility criteria published by the government states a driver must not have been in receipt of state benefit like Universial Credit or Statutory Sick Pay up until 31 December.
Andy pointed out this could include drivers who had been off sick and self-isolated with coronavirus symptoms, or people who had temporarily claimed Universal Credit when no help was available from the government for the trade.
In October, we reported how some cabbies feared Edinburgh's 300 year old taxi trade could come to an end, with the pandemic forcing many to give up and find new jobs as they struggled to make ends meet.
Whilst finances companies had given some drivers payment holidays on their vehicles, these were usually limited to six months and with no improvement in the situation, Andy said he had considered abandoning the trade altogether.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live about the new funding, Andy said: "As many as 50 per cent of taxi drivers could be ineligible for this grant because of this clause.
"We spoke to our colleagues in Wales who won a similar grant, and they don't have this either.
"What could be a very welcome boost for the trade and drivers will cause a civil war, with some drivers eligible and some excluded.
"I know drivers who did claim Universal Credit, but with this clause they would have been better off not doing that. Thousands of drivers out there are proud, dignified people who have worked all their life.
"Claiming benefits would be a very hard thing for a lot of people to do, now not only have you had to go through that shame they are being kicked in the teeth again."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Universal Credit payments reduce as a person’s income increases so we are concerned that any payment would simply be deducted from an applicant’s benefits. Without a change, making these payments would benefit the DWP, not the drivers.
“We are calling on the DWP to amend their criteria to ensure that drivers on UC can benefit from the full £1500 payment – if they make that change we will amend our criteria.”
Scottish Conservative shadow economy secretary Maurice Golden said: "Like so many other SNP business support measures, this money is long overdue. But it comes with strings attached, making it inaccessible to many who are in desperate need.
"The SNP government urged taxi drivers to claim Universal Credit yet are now penalising them by using these claims as an excuse to block payment of the new lifeline grants.
"These drivers are on their knees through no fault of their own and they will be rightly furious at this decision.
"We know the SNP is clueless about business and the economy, but their repeated failures are putting countless jobs at risks.
"They have received billions of pounds in extra support from the UK government and are sitting on hundreds of millions of pounds of that while firms go bust and jobs are lost."
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