The Scottish Government will be “freezing rents and imposing a moratorium on evictions until at least 31 March 2023” as part of its response to the cost-of-living crisis.

Outlined in the Programme for Government today, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the government would also prevent “immediate rent increases” and “encourage local authorities to use their existing flexibilities to take a compassionate and proportionate response to arrears, taking account of the current pressures on household finances”.

The Scottish Government is calling on Westminster to “cancel the October energy price cap rise and to increase and deliver an expanded support package which should”:

• Be most targeted to low-income households and those most negatively affected by cost increases (for example larger households, unpaid carers and disabled people). This may involve targeted payments through the benefits system.
• Uprate all Social Security benefits to support low income households through the winter.
• Provide a £25 uplift to Universal Credit and extend this to legacy benefits.
• Broaden the Energy Profits Levy and remove the investment allowance. This would raise additional revenue to fund action on the cost crisis.

The full Programme for Government can be found here.