Chamber and committees

As the minister will know, the introduction of the child disability payment has been piloted in three council areas—Dundee, Perth and Kinross and the Western Isles. What lessons can be learned from the pilot and what number of claims are we talking about collectively from those areas? What source of supporting evidence will be used to assess those claims? I am aware that you might not have that information to hand and it is okay if you do not, but will you forward it on to me when you get it?

Thank you, minister. That is reassuring.

I have no further questions.

I want to highlight a good example from Glasgow, where people registering births are assisted in making best start grant claims. Are there any other examples of good practice elsewhere?

Good morning, minister; it is good to see you.

Unfortunately, access to many of the Scottish benefits is dependent on people’s being in receipt of reserved benefits. How has the UK Government responded to requests for a more unified and strategic approach to maximising take-up? If the response was disappointing, how do you intend to follow up on that?

Thank you. Minister, I look forward to seeing the additional information, if you can pass it on.

Under the old system, people were deterred from applying for the carers allowance by the fact that the underlying entitlement rules meant that for some it offered no financial gain. What are we doing to get the message out that that has changed and that a gain will come from the carers allowance supplement?

I thank the witnesses for their submissions, which I found really helpful. In your evidence, you emphasise the importance of involving people with lived experience of homelessness. That seems to be a good way, in practice, of achieving what we want. Did the pandemic hinder progress in any way? How do we maintain the momentum on that?

The Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021, which will come into force in December 2022, will help to prevent women’s homelessness by barring the perpetrator of domestic abuse from the home and giving landlords the ability to transfer tenancies to the survivor. How impactful will that be in tackling homelessness among women? Are other improvements needed to better assist women who are at risk of being made homeless?

This question, which is for Beth Watts, is about future developments. Like you, I think that we can make real progress with the powers that we have. However, UK policy is a hindrance in some respects. You say in the homelessness monitor study that changes to welfare policy, including increasing local housing allowance, would assist in reducing homelessness. Is that simply you stating the obvious, or are you optimistic that there will be movement in that regard?

I go back to the issue of trust. The cabinet secretary has acknowledged how difficult the unsatisfactory experience has been for the women affected. What they have endured is appalling and there is no doubt that there is now a lack of trust in the service. How confident is the cabinet secretary that confidence in the service can be re-established? What lessons can we learn from this whole process?