Chamber and committees

The next questions are from Evelyn Tweed, who joins us remotely.

Lovely. I will ask the final question, unless anybody else is looking to come in.

Marie McNair asked the first panel a pertinent question about the interaction between the carers allowance supplement and universal credit, and the general awareness among carers about CAS not being deducted from universal credit. Obviously, I am aware of the obligation that the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland have put on themselves to ensure that people are eligible for certain payments and income maximisation. What more can we do to ensure that people who are in receipt of CAS are aware that it will not deducted from universal credit and that they are not hesitant in coming forward to claim what they are entitled to?

Thank you very much. I am sure that we can do what we can in our report to ensure that that is amplified.

I thank Mr Macpherson, Mr Strong, Kate Thomson-McDermott and Stephanie Virlogeux for their time this morning and for answering the questions. That is greatly appreciated. We will no doubt be in touch again soon, as the bill progresses.

We will now move into private session. Members who are joining us remotely should use Microsoft Teams to join the next part of the meeting, please. The link is in the calendar invite.

Do you have any more questions, Pam?

The next question comes from Pam Duncan-Glancy.

No—thank you very much, Salena.

Lanarkshire Carers is based in my Airdrie and Shotts constituency and I can confirm that it does excellent work.

Absolutely it does—thank you.

Of course.

That is very helpful, minister and Ms Thomson-McDermott. To use an old phrase that is not used so much now, 2025 is your backstop for case transfer but, potentially, eligibility changes and payments could happen before that. That is what you are saying.