Committee
Social Justice and Social Security Committee 27 January 2022
27 Jan 2022 · S6 · Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
Social Security Information-sharing (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 [Draft]
That is an important point to raise. I know from the committee’s evidence on 16 December 2021 and from correspondence that I sent to the committee that you will be aware that SCOSS supports the position that we have taken. After significant engagement with the Scottish Government and thorough consideration of the issues—we were very grateful for the important engagement that we had with the body—SCOSS endorsed our overriding commitment to safe and secure transfer by stating that: “We are persuaded that changing eligibility criteria at this time would risk undermining the delivery of ADP, with extremely detrimental consequences for people who depend on it.” We are also mindful that DACBEAG has stated that: “In the short term, we agree that no significant changes should be made to eligibility rules to ensure a safe and secure transition”. We have engaged with those that you would expect us to on that important issue, and we are reassured, comforted and grateful that they share our position. Collectively, in time—not just in the short term through the delivery of ADP and all the significant improvements that I laid out earlier, but in the years thereafter once case transfer has been undertaken—we all want to improve the situation for disabled people as much as we can. I think it important that we undertake the process of case transfer and launch in the way that is envisaged in the regulations, to make sure that we deliver the adult disability payment better than the way in which PIP is delivered, in terms of experience and approach, and I have laid that out through the important changes that we are making. Then, after safe and secure transfer, we can consider where we go next with the benefit. The changes that we are making, particularly on applying the reliability criteria properly, will make a significant difference for people, and the experience of the adult disability payment will be much improved, just like is the case on the child disability payment. The feedback to the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland of people’s experience of that different system and approach to that which they had experienced previously from DWP has been very positive. 09:30
In the same item of business
The Convener (Elena Whitham)
SNP
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The Convener
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Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Congratulations on your appointment as convener of the committee. I put on record my thanks to Neil Gray, who was an excellent convener. We will miss him, an...
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SNP
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The Convener
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Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
Yes, it is, convener.
The Convener
SNP
Go ahead.
Evelyn Tweed
SNP
Can you outline for the committee the Scottish Commission on Social Security’s view on how the Scottish Government is dealing with eligibility? What was its ...
Ben Macpherson
SNP
That is an important point to raise. I know from the committee’s evidence on 16 December 2021 and from correspondence that I sent to the committee that you w...
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
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Ben Macpherson
SNP
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The Convener
SNP
Thank you. Minister, do you have anything further to add?
Ben Macpherson
SNP
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Nathan Gale (Scottish Government)
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The Convener
SNP
Thank you very much for that. Minister, do you have anything further to add, or are we able to move on?
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SNP
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The Convener
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I am going to hand the talking stick over to Jeremy Balfour. I will hand it back to Pam Duncan-Glancy when we move on to the next theme.
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
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Kayleigh Blair (Scottish Government)
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