Chamber and committees

We have emphasised to the Department of Work and Pensions the importance of providing accurate and up-to-date information relating to weather stations both before and after the introduction of the new benefit. This is necessary for the design and delivery of the new system, as well as to ensure there will be a smooth transition for existing recipients.

The experience panels are already collecting information that will inform our design and delivery of the new Cold Spell Heating Assistance. There are over 350 Experience Panel members with experience of Winter Fuel Allowance. Some of these panel members reflected specifically on their experience of Winter Fuel Allowance as part of our ‘About Your Benefits and You’ research in 2017.

It is our intention to seek the views of households who have applied for and benefited from Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments as part of our Research Plan for 2019-20.

Policy development began in the summer of last year as part of our planning for the new powers devolved by the Scotland Act. As part of our approach we are involving those with experience of the benefits being devolved and the people of Scotland more generally in the design of the new social security system.

The Scottish Government would welcome an increase of Carer’s Allowance to the same rate as Job Seeker’s Allowance for all carers across the UK, as has already been implemented in Scotland.

The Scottish Government receives data from the Department for Work and Pensions about who is receiving Carer's Allowance and living in Scotland on the qualifying dates for Carer’s Allowance Supplement. We do not receive information about clients’ earnings.

As set out in the Carer’s Allowance Agency Agreement, “the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will, on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, continue to deliver an operational service for people resident in Scotland, consistent with the delivery of Carer’s Allowance and its related functions under the same procedures that cover the delivery of Carer’s Allowance paid to people resident in England and Wales”. This means that the earnings threshold will remain the same in Scotland as it is in England and Wales in 2019-2020.

Of the 76,996 carer's allowance supplement payments made to date, 127 payments have were returned or were unsuccessful. This represents 0.16% of the total number of payments made. Of the returned or unsuccessful payments, 75 have been successfully reissued to date.

The suppliers referred to are listed in the following table with their current status in the following categories: (a) disability confident, (b) carer positive and (c) living wage accredited.

The Scottish Government will publish national level spend detail on Fair Start Scotland in due course. The first release of statistics, reporting on the first six months of Fair Start Scotland, will be published on 28 November 2018.

There are 152 payments of carer's allowance supplement which remain to be made. In order for payment to be made, we require clients to provide information to Social Security Scotland. Social Security Scotland is in the process of contacting these individuals.

1. From the 152 payments still to be made, 100 are for cases where the Carer is now deceased. Social Security Scotland are in the process of contacting the Carers next of kin to obtain details to issue these payments. Once this information has been received payment will be issued.

2. The remaining 52 payments are in relation to payments which have been unsuccessful and returned, we are waiting on updated bank details from the client to re-issue the payment.