Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 23 March 2022
I am sure that Mr Rennie will welcome the launch of the first pilot phase of the adult disability payment on Monday, and that he will appreciate the position as we launch that disability benefit after having successfully launched the child disability benefit.
We are also currently undertaking, in a safe and secure way, transfer to Social Security Scotland of cases of people in Scotland who receive disability benefits from the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions. While that process is being undertaken, we cannot create a two-tier system in which people who are paid by Social Security Scotland are paid more than clients whose cases have not yet been transferred to the Scottish system. That transfer will be undertaken as quickly, but also as safely and securely, as possible.
The order that is under consideration will uprate benefits for which we have executive competence, but which are currently administered on behalf of the Scottish ministers by the DWP under agency agreement, as we undertake safe and secure transfer. Those benefits include the attendance allowance, the disability living allowance, the carers allowance, industrial injuries scheme benefits, the personal independence payment and the severe disablement allowance.
We have no discretion over the level by which we increase those benefits. The agency agreements that are in place with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which allow the DWP to deliver those benefits on behalf of the Scottish ministers, mean that we are committed to uprating them at the same rate at which the DWP uprates them. Therefore, they are being uprated by 3.1 per cent, in line with the September consumer prices index. It is for the Scottish ministers to make an order to effect the uprate—that is the order that is before Parliament today.
As other members were, I was disappointed that the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not take the opportunity to further increase benefits to support people who need it most to deal with rising living costs. In contrast, the Scottish Government is acting to help households. On the Scottish benefits in which we have discretion to go further, we are acting urgently in response to the growing cost of living pressures. We will provide additional support by further increasing several forms of devolved social security benefits and assistance by 6 per cent, rather than by 3.1 per cent, in separate regulations that will go before the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on 31 March.