Clydesdale rent arrears among worst in the UK

A nationwide survey taken by the Trades Union Congress revealed that, by one calculation, the only part of the country in worse straits than South Lanarkshire was its neighbour, North Lanarkshire.

The news follows hard on the heels of a Biggar man hitting the national headlines and television giving evidence to Holyrood on the impact of what is officially termed by the government as the Spare Room Subsidy.

The man, 46-year-old retired reserved firefighter Scott Wilson, a Parkinsons Disease sufferer, told MSPs that he’d been told he’d have to move from his specially adapted three bedroom council-owned home of 25 years to a one bedroom flat or face a cut in his Housing Benefit.

However, this week his MP, Scotland’s sole Conservative representative David Mundell, was unapologetic about the measure his government brought in.

He told the Gazette: “I have met with South Lanarkshire Council to discuss the implementation of the spare room subsidy and I am keen to do what I can to help make sure it is implemented properly and fairly.

“Like other councils in Scotland they have the opportunity to seek discretionary funding and should already be making provisions for specific cases like this, and I would ask them to make contact with Mr Wilson in the hope of finding a resolution.”