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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-26170

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24058 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 July 2019, how many (a) children under the age of six and (b) families in each (i) local authority area and Scottish Parliamentary (ii) constituency and (iii) region will receive support (A) from the Scottish Child Payment and (B) for the duration of the under-six payment as a proportion of all children and families in those areas.

In response to part (a)(i) of the question, the following table presents our current illustrative estimates of the number of children under 6 eligible for the Scottish Child Payment, by local authority, as a proportion of all children under 6 in each local authority, in 2020-21. We expect the caseload to be relatively constant until the increase in age limit to 16, so the figures below are applicable across the duration of the under-six payment.

Local Authority	Children under 6 receiving Scottish Child Payment as a proportion of all children under 6
Aberdeen City	30.6%
Aberdeenshire	26.9%
Angus	51.4%
Argyll & Bute	53.9%
Clackmannanshire	57.7%
Dumfries & Galloway	64.7%
Dundee City	61.0%
East Ayrshire	57.3%
East Dunbartonshire	34.7%
East Lothian	46.2%
East Renfrewshire	32.4%
Edinburgh, City of	38.2%
Eileanan an Iar	48.4%
Falkirk	50.7%
Fife	56.1%
Glasgow City	62.2%
Highland	52.0%
Inverclyde	65.7%
Midlothian	44.7%
Moray	46.1%
North Ayrshire	67.6%
North Lanarkshire	59.5%
Orkney Islands	52.7%
Perth & Kinross	48.5%
Renfrewshire	53.6%
Scottish Borders	52.3%
Shetland Islands	26.7%
South Ayrshire	55.2%
South Lanarkshire	52.1%
Stirling	43.4%
West Dunbartonshire	64.5%
West Lothian	52.8%

The qualifying benefits for the Scottish Child Payment include Universal Credit and all the legacy benefits it is replacing, as well as Pension Credit. Universal Credit is in the process of being rolled out and current caseloads across local authorities are not representative of the long-term steady state. We also have limited information on the number of children in families on Universal Credit.

Given these limitations, we have estimated the above figures by applying proportions from HMRC data on the number of children receiving Tax Credits in each local authority prior to the rollout of Universal Credit Full Service. To avoid double counting and because most families with children in receipt of legacy benefits receive tax credits we have not factored in other legacy benefits.

We have used the HMRC geographical analysis of finalised annual awards 2015-16. The Tax Credits geographical data on local authority do not break down by age of child, meaning the distribution of children and families across local authorities is based on all children and families, not just those with children under 6.

The above caveats mean that the figures should be treated with caution and could overestimate or underestimate the numbers eligible in individual local authorities.

We have not been able to answer the remaining part of the question, namely providing proportions of children under 6 in each constituency or region, or proportions of families. This is because data are not available for these breakdowns for 2020 and beyond, the period when the Scottish Child Payment will be delivered.

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) do not have readily available population projections of children in Scottish Parliamentary constituency and region nor population projections of families with children in local authority and Scottish Parliamentary constituency and region. This is because a suite of assumptions around future levels of fertility, mortality and migration would need to be made in order to provide these breakdowns.

When UC completes its rollout, and if more comprehensive NRS data become available, we will be able to provide more robust local authority, constituency or regional analysis of the Scottish Child Payment.

Question reference: S5W-26143

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what response it has received from the social security experience panels to its decision not to proceed with a mobility component in disability assistance for older people.

Question reference: S5W-26144

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated additional cost will be of increasing the qualifying age of disability assistance for working-age people in line with the state pension age, as proposed in its paper, A Consultation on Disability Assistance in Scotland, Scottish Government response, and what the estimated costs are of a mobility component to this change.

Question reference: S5W-25650

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the letter of 20 June 2019 from the Minster for Business Fair Work and Skills to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding the devolution of Specialised Employment Support.

Question reference: S5W-25647

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with its replacement of the DWP Specialised Employment Support schemes, and when the delivery of this will commence.

The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that everybody who can and wants to work has the opportunity to find fulfilling and sustainable employment, and that those facing barriers to employment, including many disabled people, can access any additional support they need.

We are continuing with our preparations to develop a new provision to replace DWP’s Specialist Employability Support scheme. This includes Scottish Government officials engaging with key stakeholders to ensure we understand the needs of individuals, including the specific needs of disabled people in Scotland for whom more mainstream employment support is not appropriate.

As stated within A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan the creation of a bespoke Scottish support service is subject to clarification of the UK Government funding settlement. This funding has still to be confirmed and we are in ongoing discussions with the DWP on the level of funding to be transferred to Scotland as part of the devolution settlement.

Our devolved employability service, Fair Start Scotland, offers tailored specific support for individuals, recognising their skills and helping them to realise their employment aspirations. In considering DWP’s Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES) offer we have identified some key similarities with the current support provided under Fair Start Scotland, which we are therefore keen to explore further with stakeholders. Our intention remains to ensure that there is support in place from January 2020 that meets the specific needs of disabled people in Scotland for whom more mainstream employment support is not appropriate.

Question reference: S5W-26062

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its analysis in its paper, A Consultation on Disability Assistance in Scotland, Scottish Government response, how many older people would receive the (a) standard and (b) enhanced component of a mobility component, according to its calculations of the cost introducing a mobility component for disability allowance for older people.

Scottish Government analysis of the inclusion of a mobility component in Disability Assistance for Older People (DAOP) suggests that around 10,000 people could receive the standard rate and around 180,000 people could receive the enhanced rate in 2020-21.

There is significant uncertainty associated with estimating the number of individuals who would be eligible for and receive a mobility component of DAOP. This analysis uses the existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 65+ client group as the best comparison to DAOP and generates client numbers for a DAOP mobility component as if it followed the same claiming patterns as DLA 65+. However, there may be some fundamental differences between the people receiving the two benefits, such as the average age of clients in each group, which means the estimates using the DLA 65+ client group as a comparison to DAOP are intended to provide an illustration of the potential scale of the volume of mobility clients.

Question reference: S5W-26060

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the full calculations and analysis that it used to inform its decision not to include a mobility component in Disability Assistance for Older People.

The calculations and analysis that were used to inform the Scottish Government’s decision not to include a mobility component in Disability Assistance for Older People can be found in A Consultation on Disability Assistance in Scotland, Scottish Government response, published 28 October 2019 at.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/consultation-disability-assistance-scotland-scottish-government-response/pages/2/ .

Question reference: S5W-26061

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Equality Impact Assessment that it carried out to inform its decision not to include a mobility component in Disability Assistance for Older People.

A partial equality impact assessment was carried out as part of the Consultation on Disability Assistance in Scotland held earlier this year. This can be found on the Scottish Government’s website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-consultation-disability-assistance-scotland/pages/12/

A full equality impact assessment will be published when regulations are laid for Disability Assistance for Older People.

Question reference: S5W-25877

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether disability assistance regulations will provide for a right of appeal where a new determination is made as a result of an individual notifying a change of circumstances.

As set out in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (‘the Act’) and stated in the Disability Assistance in Scotland consultation, an individual will have the right to request a redetermination of any entitlement decision made by Social Security Scotland relating to Disability Assistance. This will include any determination made following notification of a change in circumstances. If the individual is dissatisfied with the outcome of the redetermination, they can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

Provisions relating to notification of a change of circumstances will be set out in regulations but the right of appeal relating to a determination is already provided for in the Act.

Question reference: S5W-25878

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether disability assistance regulations will provide a right for an individual to request a review of their award, and, if so, whether (a) the outcome of that review will and (b) the decision whether or not to review an award will attract a right of appeal.

As indicated in the Disability Assistance in Scotland consultation, Disability Assistance regulations will include provision to review awards where individuals notify of a change of circumstances that may affect the level of assistance they receive.

Where the outcome of a review is a new entitlement decision, a client will have the right to request a redetermination of that decision and, where they are not satisfied with the redetermination, will be able to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.