SNP ministers are “yet again refusing to use the full powers available” to Holyrood, Scottish Labour charged yesterday as the party made the case for a pay rise for carers.

Tories at Westminster have changed the mechanism for increasing the carers’ allowance so it is in line with the consumer price index (CPI) of inflation, as opposed to the higher retail price index (RPI).

An opposition motion tabled by Labour MSP Mark Griffin called for the Scottish government to use recently devolved social security powers to supplement the allowance, so it still increases in line with RPI.

It is thought that such a move would cost £2.8 million in 2019-20, with 82,000 carers £33 per year better off.

Mr Griffin, who is Scottish Labour’s social security spokesman, said: “We have powers to take a different path, to show that social security is an investment in the people of Scotland.

“Now is the time to set the precedent and re-adopt RPI in Scotland’s social security system.”

Fellow Labour MSP Elaine Smith cited TUC research in the debate to argue that CPI was an inappropriate measure.

“It seems that organisations that take our money use the higher inflation figure whereas those paying us use the lower,” she said.

She also stated: “As thousands of carers across Scotland struggle on a daily basis to maintain their living standards and a decent quality of life, yet again we see the Scottish government refusing to use the full powers available to this Parliament.”

An SNP amendment to Labour’s motion removed the thrust of its message, instead stating that the introduction of the Scottish government’s carers’ allowance supplement had “increased financial support to carers by 13 per cent and put an extra £442 a year in people’s pockets in 2018-19.”