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All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
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Displaying 773 contributions
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
Thank you.
Before we move to the next set of questions, I have a question about an issue that was raised with us in our informal session with kinship carers. Some people care on an informal basis and are deemed to be ineligible for any support, so a national rate will perhaps not help them. They have asked us to look into that specific issue. Is there any way in which that will change?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
That is helpful. Thank you.
Our last theme is further supports for kinship care families. I think that the first question comes from Jeremy Balfour. No—I am getting a sign that his question has been answered, so we will go back to Pam Duncan-Glancy on that topic, to be followed by Marie McNair.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
Before I bring in Pam Duncan-Glancy, I have a question on the back of Jeremy Balfour’s questions.
A handful of people have contacted me in the past couple of weeks because they were expecting to be on a natural transfer pathway from PIP to ADP but are now all of a sudden being triggered with reviews from the DWP that they were not expecting. Although they had letters that said that they would not be reviewed until the end of 2022, there seems to be a flurry of people in that situation. Will those individuals now be subject to a managed transfer process, which will mean that it will be slightly longer before they get on to ADP? There seems to be a lot of confusion among people who are now subject to reviews that they were not expecting.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
I am definitely happy to write to you on that, minister. It is reassuring that you have not noticed a trend in that regard. That is helpful.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
Thank you, minister. As we have been talking, you have answered a number of other questions that members had, so I have been getting a flurry of messages on my phone to say that they have no further questions. Therefore, that brings us to the end of this evidence session. I thank you and your officials for coming this morning and giving evidence.
I will suspend the meeting briefly to allow for a changeover of witnesses.
10:08 Meeting suspended.Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
Thank you very much, minister. Our first group of questions concerns the transfer from personal independence payment to adult disability payment.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
We heard quite a lot about that issue, because there is quite a big variation in payments across the country. As my colleague Jeremy Balfour highlighted, that can involve top-up payments or things that happen because a local authority chooses to do them, or because certain aspects are subject to interpretation of the guidance. The work that the collaborative is going to do in helping to shape how that guidance can be changed and updated will be invaluable.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
That would be very helpful, minister.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
Thank you, minister. That would be very helpful for us.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 31 March 2022
Elena Whitham
You are getting ahead of yourself—that is a question for the last panel.