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There is a range of activity being driven across Scottish Government to promote and deliver greater financial inclusion for those facing financial challenges. The commitment to the financial health check service was set out in the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, which includes 50 actions to be delivered over this parliamentary term. We are currently working with partners to scope delivery of this service, and, while there is no specific budget line in the 2017-18 Budget for the commitment, we anticipate that activity to support it would be funded across a number of different budget lines, given the cross-cutting nature of the agenda.

The Scottish Government has welcomed publication of reports from both the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force. Collectively, over 100 recommendations were made, many of which are complex and have wider implications that must be considered alongside other policies.

The Minister for Local Government and Housing attended a meeting of the Fuel Poverty Forum on 15 December to discuss the issues in more detail and we will publish our response in February 2017 to take on board their views.

Both reports are the first step in the development of our new fuel poverty strategy, which we will consult on later this year, and will inform our approach to improving the energy efficiency of people’s homes wherever they live in Scotland.

There is no target for accreditation. The new model for accreditation is being tested across a 3-year period from November 2016, and current estimates are that around 150 organisations could go through the process in that period. This would enable all previously accredited organisations to go through the re-accreditation process, and allow for new applications for accreditation to be considered.

However these numbers are dependent on applications for accreditation/re-accreditation being made to the Scottish Government by the advice sector.

SLAB have publicised the availability of Type I audit and also encouraged organisations seeking accreditation at Type II and Type III to prepare for accreditation and to book slots for peer review. This has been done by circulating regular NewZapps directly to a wide range of advice sector contacts and via the networks of the SNSIAP Reference Group, which represents the key stakeholders from the advice sector. The SNSIAP webpage on SLAB’s website also highlights the availability of accreditation and highlights the guidance and tools available to support organisations

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring our policies are designed to best meet people’s needs, in the context of swingeing UK Government cuts to the overall welfare budget. That is why we have already committed to uprating disability benefits in line with inflation. Our recent consultation on social security in Scotland also sought views on the best way to ensure other benefits being devolved to Scotland, including Winter Fuel Payments, keep pace with the cost of living. We will shortly be publishing our response to the consultation along with information on next steps.

The Scottish Government is currently waiting for the UK Government to lay the necessary regulations to commence section 23 of the 2016 Scotland Act, which makes provision for heating expenses. Until the UK Government acts, the Scottish Parliament does not have competence in relation to that section.

The Scottish Government has commissioned an independent organisation, Research Scotland, to carry out an analysis of all of the responses to the Scottish Government’s consultation on social security. The analysis report, which will be published shortly, will provide a summary of the findings to all of the questions, including those on winter fuel payments.

The Scottish Government wrote to the Minister of State for Welfare Reform on 15 December 2016 about the UK Government's proposals for “Exceptions to the limiting of the Child Element of Universal Credit to a maximum of two children”.

The letter made clear that the Scottish Government is fundamentally opposed both to the policy in its entirety and the way in which the UK Government plans to implement it. There is no acceptable process which can ever be put in place which requires a woman being forced to disclose being raped in order to access social security.

Scottish Government funding for the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers accreditation since 2009 has been as follows:

2009-10 - £150,000

2010-11 - £150,000

2011-12 - £150,000

2012-13 - £150,000

2013-14 - nil*

2014-15 - £116,500

2015-16 - £100,000

2016-17 - £150,000

From 2009-10 to 2012-13 funding was directed towards contracted delivery of the audit process.

It was not possible to award a contract in 2013-14 and the Money Advice Service delivered and funded the accreditation process for this year.

Since 2014-15, the Standards have been undergoing redevelopment and these represent development costs. Those organisations that were due to seek reaccreditations had there accreditation continued during this time.

In 2016-17 the budget includes the first tranche of accreditations that will be delivered under the new audit process.

The 20% earnings taper within the Council Tax Reduction Scheme means the maximum weekly financial effect was £3.49, although Regulation 2 of the same Scottish Statutory Instrument ensures pre-existing Council Tax Reduction awards that include the family premium have that entitlement preserved.

New applicants in receipt of a “passporting” benefit that qualifies them for the maximum Council Tax Reduction -around 70% of the present caseload - will continue to be entitled to a full reduction of their Council Tax liability.

Our package of reforms will increase the Child Premium within the applicable amount of the Council Tax Reduction scheme by £16.73 per week for each child from April 2017. This is worth up to £6.69 per week for a family with two children.

Official statistics are currently available for the period to 15 September 2016. Of Council Tax Reduction claims in payment on this date, 11,710 started on or after 1 May 2016. There is no centrally-held data on the number of unsuccessful applications.