BENEFIT cuts and welfare reform is hitting women suffering domestic violence and disabled women harder than most, MSPs are to be told.

Women's campaign groups, disability charities and anti poverty campaigners are warning that women's lives are being made unbearable from the UK Government agenda.

One charity said disabled women are resorting to prostitution, others warn women are being further trapped by payment changes and housing benefit cuts leave women in refuges for longer than necessary.

The Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee is hearing this week from a range or organisations on how benefit changes are having a disproportionate impact on women.

Research has, since 2010, it has been calculated that £26 billion worth of cuts have been made to benefits, tax credits, pay and pensions and 85% £22 billion of this has been taken from women's incomes.

Scottish Women's Aid said changes to Universal Credit will further erode women's financial independence.

In a written submission to the committee, Jo Ozga, Policy Worker, said: "A single monthly payment to one claimant in the household will further increase the opportunity to create financial dependency."

Ms Ozga said the Scottish Government, with devolved powers over welfare, could make changes.

She added: "The devolution of some powers over welfare, particularly in relation to Universal Credit offers the Scottish Parliament the potential to better support women experiencing domestic abuse, by varying the single householder and monthly payment arrangements, which undermine women's safety."

Scottish Women's Aid said the Bedroom Tax, although mitigated, is still affecting women looking to escape violence.

It said a shortage of one bedroom homes means women are having to accept two bedroom properties and are liable for the bedroom tax shortfall and not all councils pay Discretionary Housing Payments for women leaving a refuge and continual re-applications led to uncertainty and fear.

The organisation said it was having to deal more with ensuring women were able to meet food, rent, heating and clothing needs and its ability to help with emotional support was being reduced.

Disability charity, Inclusion Scotland, said some women were forced into drastic measures to cope with benefit cuts.

In its submission, Bill Scott, Director of Policy said: "Due to benefit cuts, long delays in assessing claims, punitive sanctions and lengthy mandatory reconsiderations disabled women are experiencing increasingly long periods with inadequate or no means of financial support.

"As a consequence some disabled women are being forced to turn to prostitution as a source of income.

"This is even more likely where these women have caring responsibilities and no means to feed their children."