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We have thought about many different options, and I will bring in Kate Thomson-McDermott in a moment to talk about the considerable amount of work that has been done. Of course, the big challenge for us was that we obtained these powers over disability benefits when the UK system was still in transition between DLA and PIP, but we have tried to make sensitive and effective decisions not only to improve our system but to ensure that case transfer is undertaken in a safe and secure way. Do you want to add anything, Kate?

No—they will not have to make an application. The cases with regard to ADP will be reviewed under the light-touch review process that we have set out.

Of course, it all depends on an individual’s circumstances, too—I cannot speak generically. I am sorry to interrupt you.

Certainly. It is important that we prioritise the case transfer of any individual who would otherwise be required to apply for a PIP under the DWP business-as-usual rules. I know that colleagues will appreciate that. We have already made significant improvements to the assessment process for ADP and will apply the eligibility criteria fairly and consistently to all those entitled to ADP to ensure that the impact of a disability or health condition on an individual, including the impact on mental health conditions, learning disabilities and fluctuating conditions, are taken fully into account.

As Pam Duncan-Glancy has rightly emphasised, we have given a firm commitment to a wide-ranging independent review of ADP commencing one year after the national launch of ADP. In recent days, I have been in active discussions on that matter with officials, but in light of the extensive feedback that we received, we have made a further commitment to a two-stage review, with work beginning later this year, to identify what improvements can be made on the mobility criteria and what should be included in the scope of the stage 2 independent review. We will provide details on both as soon as we are in a position to do so. I appreciate that members, stakeholders and people more broadly are interested to get an update on the first stage, and I certainly give an undertaking to do that as soon as I can.

As I laid out in my answer to the deputy convener on the first questions on these regulations, our resourcing of the independent advocacy service has been set out and budgeted for and is being provided and scaled up. I have already talked about the £12 million that we have provisioned for welfare advice and the engagement with stakeholders that is being undertaken by officials. The agency and the Government have a very close relationship with relevant stakeholders, and the fact that, as we understand it, there will be around 100 transfers per month means that we have capacity in the systems in Scotland—both in Social Security Scotland, of course, and in the advocacy service—to be able to provide that support to those people.

It depends on the individual circumstances. We have to evaluate every case on the merits of the individual’s position and the fact that we will be doing every review from a position of trust. We have some awareness of what has happened with PIP but our system has differences built into it. I think that you heard about some of the implications of that from the Scottish Fiscal Commission earlier in the meeting.

We know that, going from DLA to PIP, about a third of people have received an increase, a third have received a decrease and a third have stayed the same. However, as I said, we will treat every case individually, as people would expect. We will project where we can, but we want to make sure that people are processed individually within their circumstances, and we do not want to prejudice that.

Budgets always have a degree of flexibility. We will consider the cost pressures in the course of the financial year, but we feel that we can absorb a £2.7 million increase.

As I said in my opening statement, the carers allowance supplement will be uprated by 6 per cent. In the period ahead, the Government will give on-going consideration to the carers allowance supplement additional payment, on which we passed additional legislation a number of months ago. I am sure that we will discuss that with the committee and in the chamber in the months ahead. However, I can confirm that the carers allowance supplement will be uprated by 6 per cent.

I respect Pam Duncan-Glancy highly, but I just want to emphasise again that since 2018 we have been building from scratch an agency that is now highly performing and which employs nearly 2,000 people. We have delivered several benefits; we will start to deliver our 12th on Monday; and seven of those 12 benefits, some of which we are discussing uprating today, are new and available only in Scotland.

That is an important question. I do not want to go into too much detail on the complexities of the internal correspondence within Government, although I will bring in Dominic Mellan if he wishes to add anything that is relevant.

Ministers have, of course, looked collectively at the situation that is before us, with the real pressures that families are encountering and will encounter in the period ahead, and we are determined to provide assistance and help where we can, using the powers and resources that we have. We looked at what we could absorb within the social security budget. The additional amount that we are allocating in order to undertake the uprating for the financial year ahead is £2.7 million. We have absorbed that within the social security budget.