Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-22242

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its consultation on disability assistance, with regard to duration of awards, what mechanism it will use to agree a timeframe to consider the impact of a condition where a person has a fluctuating condition.

Question reference: S5W-22244

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its consultation on disability assistance, with regard to duration of awards, what mechanism it will use to determine whether a person is likely to have a significant change in their needs in order to set a review point, and whether a person will be entitled to request a re-determination of the decision to set a review point in isolation.

Question reference: S5W-22266

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether an individual can seek a re-determination or review of a decision of Social Security Scotland not to provide a home assessment.

The circumstances outlined in the Consultation on Disability Assistance in which the Agency may invite a person for a face to face assessment are consistent with section 14 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. The circumstances outlined in the consultation are those where an assessment may be the only practical way to obtain information. The approach outlined in the document has been informed by previous consultation and it is supported by advice from the Disability and Carers Expert Advisory Group. Question 64 of the Disability Assistance consultation requests any further comments consultees wish to make relating to Disability Assistance not specifically covered by the consultation document. This question allows consultees to provide any comments on areas they have not had the opportunity to provide.

Question reference: S5W-22263

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the recognition of short-term assistance for the purposes of ensuring continuity of the passported entitlements that local authorities control during the period when short-term assistance is paid.

Question reference: S5W-22223

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its comments in its consultation on disability assistance regarding Social Security Scotland's ability to use face-to-face assessments in prescribed circumstances for the determination of disability assistance for working age people, for what reason it has not requested specific feedback on this list of circumstances in its consultation; how it plans to manage the agency's freedom to decide where a face-to-face assessment is required, and how it will consult in further detail on the agency's proposed use of this power.

Question reference: S5W-22237

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its consultation on disability assistance, whether it plans to produce a list of the types of supporting information that will be considered and, if so, whether this will be inclusive rather than exhaustive.

Question reference: S5W-22080

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statements in its position paper on devolved social security transfer that "no-one will be subject to a face to face re-assessment by DWP when new claims for PIP/Disability Assistance for Working Age People are open", whether anyone will be subject to a face to face re-assessment by Social Security Scotland when new claims for this assessment are open.

We remain committed to significantly reducing the number of assessments and reassessments carried out for individuals making a new application for Disability Assistance for Working Age People (DAWAP). The detailed design of DAWAP is ongoing and will aim to ensure that individuals will only be required to attend a face to face assessment or reassessment when there is no other practicable way to obtain the information required to make a decision.

Question reference: S5W-22082

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement in its Social security case transfer: policy position paper, that "We expect to complete the case transfer by 2024... This will be subject to DWP agreeing to match our pace", whether the expected 2024 completion date is liable to delay if the DWP does not agree to its case transfer proposal; when it first sought the DWP's agreement to the 2024 completion date, and when it expects to reach agreement with the DWP.

The Scottish Government has been discussing the arrangements for safe and secure case transfer with DWP since June 2018. We are committed to working with existing benefit recipients and stakeholder organisations to ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of previous benefit transfers. We will conduct further research with those with lived experience of the benefits system and with stakeholders and will use this to inform joint work between both governments on our overall approach to case transfer. The delivery of devolved social security is a joint project between Scottish Government and UK Government. It is critical that DWP is able to match our pace of delivery in order to achieve the delivery dates announced in our recent Wave 2 statement, including case transfer.

Question reference: S5W-22069

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in its position paper on Cold Spell and Winter Heating Assistance (WHA) that "We propose this WHA payment is consistent with the current Winter Fuel Payments made by the UK Government at £200", whether WHA will differ from the current Winter Fuel Payment scheme regarding payments of (a) £100 to someone who is under 80 and lives (i) with someone under 80 who also qualifies, (ii) with someone over 80 who also qualifies and (iii) in a care home and does not get certain benefits, (b) £200 to someone who is over 80 and lives with someone under 80 who also qualifies and (c) £150 to someone who is over 80 and lives (A) with someone over 80 who also qualifies and (B) in a care home and does not get certain benefits.

Question reference: S5W-22070

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in its position paper on Cold Spell and Winter Heating Assistance (WHA) that "We propose this WHA payment is consistent with the current Winter Fuel Payments made by the UK Government at £200", whether WHA will differ from the current Winter Fuel Payment scheme regarding payments of (a) £300 to someone who is over 80 and lives alone, (b) £200 to someone who is under 80 and lives with someone who also gets Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support and (c) £300 to someone who is over 80 and lives with someone who also gets Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support.