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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 13 November 2024
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Displaying 1054 contributions

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Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 13 January 2022

Jeremy Balfour

In light of that helpful answer, we can presume that the Scottish Government will pay the extra £10 in December this year.

My final question on this section is about those who are on DLA and who have not been moved across to PIP. Evidence that we took from a number of groups showed that, because of different criteria, there may be people on DLA who move across to PIP and who will lose their benefit, or part of it. Will the Scottish Government mitigate that in any way? What work is the Scottish Government doing to make those who are in that situation aware that there may be a change in the amount of money that they will receive because of the new adult disability payment?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 13 January 2022

Jeremy Balfour

If I can seek a bit of clarification, is multiyear funding going to happen as of now, or are you still discussing it as a Government to decide whether it will happen?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 23 December 2021

Jeremy Balfour

Thank you for your written submission. I will ask two questions on the adult disability payment—one that relates to the short term and one that relates to the longer term.

I have asked my first question before, but I am still not sure that I fully understand the answer. I apologise for my ignorance. You have forecast an increase for the budget for the adult disability payment in the next couple of years because you think that uptake will be higher. How do you work out that uptake will be higher? It appears from the new regulations for the payment that the way that the benefit will be assessed is almost identical to the way that it is assessed at the moment. Have you looked at that afresh in light of the new regulations? Does it make any difference?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 23 December 2021

Jeremy Balfour

Thank you for your answers, Sara. I have three questions.

The first picks up on the point that was just made. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy seemed to indicate that we would be moving to three-year funding for the third sector. Have you had any indication that conversations have taken place on that? Have you received any communication from the Scottish Government? I am wondering whether the discussion has got down to the level of local groups yet.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 23 December 2021

Jeremy Balfour

What is the biggest hurdle that stops more people applying for carers allowance? Is it the number of hours for which they have to care for somebody?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 23 December 2021

Jeremy Balfour

If Parliament was minded to alter the regulations that we have at the moment, how quickly could you do that work?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 23 December 2021

Jeremy Balfour

Finally, if you could change the budget in one way to make it better, what would you do? How would you move money around to make the biggest difference for the people you work with?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 23 December 2021

Jeremy Balfour

No, convener. I think that everything has now been covered by other members.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 23 December 2021

Jeremy Balfour

That is helpful.

My second question returns to questions asked by other members. I think that we all recognise that there are now a lot more unpaid carers, particularly female unpaid carers. I appreciate that this sounds contradictory, but do you have any idea of the number of unpaid carers out there who we do not know about? How could the Scottish Government or the committee find out that information? Obviously, if we want people to get the benefits that they are due, we need to consider how we identify those individuals. Are we talking about hundreds or thousands of people? Have you any concept of the scale that we are talking about?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2022-23

Meeting date: 23 December 2021

Jeremy Balfour

Can I follow up on that answer before asking my final question, convener?