Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government ran a nationwide campaign in October 2017 to encourage older people to contact Citizens Advice Scotland and to take up benefits and reductions to help maximise their income. Further to that the Scottish Government commissioned Citizens Advice Scotland to run a pilot Financial Health Check service in November 2017, which gave advice to older people on a range of benefits and reductions, including the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. We are currently considering the next stage of work on the Financial Health Checks for older people.

Although the Council Tax Reduction Scheme is not a benefit, the entitlement criteria broadly replicate those for Council Tax Benefit prior to its abolition. This contributes to the fulfilment of the policy objective of ensuring nobody is worse off as a consequence of the UK Government's abolition of Council Tax Benefit in 2013.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14350 on 27 February 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at ; http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx . The Scottish Government does not intend to publish a policy paper on the ‘once-for-Scotland’ approach at this time.

The Scottish Government will continue to proactively amend the Council Tax Reduction scheme where evidence indicates any element of its impact or operation is unsatisfactory.

Local authorities promoted the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, including the extension to the Scheme, when council tax bills issued last year. In addition the Scottish Government ran a nationwide campaign in October 2017 to encourage older people to contact Citizens Advice Scotland and take up benefits and reductions to help maximise their income. We are exploring possible further work to promote the Council Tax Reduction Scheme in the future.

Regulation 7 of the Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018 has the effect of reverting the Scheme to the original provisions of regulation 85(8)(b) and (c) of SSI 303 of 2012. This is because there is evidence that difficulties associated with the Department for Work and Pensions’ roll out of Universal Credit full service result in some applicants for a Council Tax Reduction potentially having good cause for an application to be backdated by 6 months.

Universal Credit is not available to people in receipt of Pension Credit, therefore the equivalent difficulties are not manifest for such cases and there is no evidence to suggest a change is required to the backdating provisions of the Council Tax Reduction (State Pension Credit) (Scotland) Regulations.

No subcontractors have ended their involvement in the Fair Start Scotland Programme. Both the Tayside and West Lots have seen changes to the mix of subcontractors, however these same subcontractors retain an interest in other Lots.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14938 on 12 March 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14939 on 12 March 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Scottish Government has and will continue to review the on-going viability of contracts awarded for the Fair Start Scotland programme as part of its normal Contract Management processes. Service providers are ready to commence on 3 April as planned.