This week’s GERS figures confirm that the SNP’s spending on welfare payments is “completely unsustainable”, the Scottish Conservatives have said.
The party’s finance and social security spokesman Craig Hoy says hard-pressed Scots cannot continue to pay the highest taxes in the United Kingdom to fund the nationalists’ ballooning benefits bill.
The GERS statistics show that Scottish Government spending on social security increased by 11% last year, rising by £671million between 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Hoy says that while there must always be a welfare safety net, the current level of spending will have to be paid through even higher taxes and further cuts to public services.
The Dumfriesshire MSP added that the SNP cannot continue to ignore this escalating issue and must deliver a social security system that is both fair to taxpayers and those who genuinely need support.
Hoy added that the figures must finally see the SNP ditch their “light-touch” approach to delivering benefits and at Holyrood it is only the Scottish Conservatives who are challenging SNP ministers on their “spiralling” levels of welfare spending.
Scottish Conservative finance and social security spokesman Craig Hoy MSP said: “These soaring increases in welfare payments by the SNP are completely unsustainable.
“It is astonishing that spending rose by close to £700million in just one year alone.
“Hard-pressed Scots should not be forced to pay the highest taxes in the United Kingdom just to fund the SNP’s ballooning benefits bill.
“While there must always be a safety net for those who need welfare support, the SNP’s benefits bill is set to hit nearly £10billion by 2030. If the nationalists don’t change course, then even more taxes and cuts to public services are on the way.
“SNP ministers cannot continue to pretend everything is fine and ignore this escalating situation. Their social security system should be fair for taxpayers and to those who genuinely need support.
“The GERS figures are further evidence that the SNP must finally ditch their light-touch approach to delivering benefits. It is only the Scottish Conservatives challenging the SNP on their spiralling levels of welfare spending.
“We will never apologise for doing so and think it is right for the benefits bill to be reduced, in order to give Scots a much-needed tax cut.”
Notes to editors:
Scottish Government social security spending rose by more than 11 per cent in a single year. Spending increased from £6.04 billion in 2024-25 to £6.71 billion in 2025-26, a rise of £671 million. Across Scotland as a whole, social security spending increased by more than £2 billion to £29.47 billion. (Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland, 12 August 2026, link).