Chamber and committees

I suppose that that is my point. The only connecting theme for trans people is that they have changed their gender, so we cannot say, “Well, you must have done this as well.”

I will move on to other issues. Naomi Cunningham commented on the long-term effects on the lives of children who transition and change gender. Do you have any reflections on the long-term effects of 16 to 18-year-olds moving on to a new life at university or somewhere else and having to start that life while living in a gender that is not theirs?

To be clear about the financial side, the current gatekeeping includes the need to access services, which can be financially prohibitive. There can also be fees associated with seeking medical proof of what a person has been through. There are lots of recognised costs to going through the process as it currently exists, besides applying for a GRC and paying the £5. That is what I was referring to.

If trans people are coming forward to say that barriers exist for them, do we not have a duty to take those barriers down? After Naomi Cunningham, I invite Karon Monaghan to respond to that.

I want to pin down what you have said. Do you believe that a 16-year-old can be trans?

Okay. Thank you. That is me, convener.

Sorry, convener, can you give me a moment?

I am aware that SCOSS was concerned about the proposal to backdate to the start of the ADP claim rather than to when a change of circumstance is reported. As the natural case transfer by definition applies to those who are coming forward with a change of circumstances, what difference is there likely to be between those two dates?

I found it helpful that you identified that lower income households will face higher inflation relative to high earners because of the cost of essential items. Is inflation on essential items expected to stabilise as quickly as the CPI overall estimate of 2 per cent by 2024, or will it be quicker or slower?

Hello, minister. I realise that the hope is that people understand that they might be better off on ADP than they are on DLA and opt to transfer when they can. What challenges will be presented with regard to managed migration if a lot of cases end up not transferring through the natural migration process? What might be the negative effects for claimants who do not move?

So far, we have talked about how future policy will balance the needs of creditors and those in debt, but where is that balance now? We have heard from people who have debt and low income that, even if they are successful in claiming social security, most of their monthly payments can end up going towards paying off debt. Is there currently a balance in considering the interests of people who are in debt, or are we a little too interested in making sure that creditors have their debt repaid, including interest?

The deputy convener touched on the issue of mental health and the responsibility to freeze interest on the debts of people who are suffering illness. Taking that further, should a similar approach be taken where interest is being charged on debts that we can be reasonably certain will be paid only through social security?