Question
Untitled item
S6W-04996 · Written Question · lodged by Balfour, Jeremy
Lodged on
07 Dec 2021Heard / answered on
22 Dec 2021To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on Universal Credit (UC) Scottish choices split payments, where UC payments can be split between members of a couple in a household, in order to ensure that everyone has access to an independent income based on their individual circumstances, and what its position is on whether this will promote equality in the welfare system.
The answer
Following a pause, due to capacity challenges related to the pandemic from March 2020 to March 2021, officials from the Scottish Government and the UK Government's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have resumed work to finalise a proposal for introducing split payments of Universal Credit in Scotland. This work has been progressing steadily and Scottish Government officials expect to have a policy proposal ready for the DWP to undertake impact assessments in 2022.
Offering the choice of split payments of Universal Credit has the potential to help address the inequality inherent in household payments that reduce access to independent incomes and can place power in the hands of abusers. Whilst offering split payments of Universal Credit in Scotland will not be sufficient to solve these complex problems, improving the accessibility of an independent income may help people in difficult situations and result in fairer and more empowering outcomes.
Offering the choice of split payments of Universal Credit has the potential to help address the inequality inherent in household payments that reduce access to independent incomes and can place power in the hands of abusers. Whilst offering split payments of Universal Credit in Scotland will not be sufficient to solve these complex problems, improving the accessibility of an independent income may help people in difficult situations and result in fairer and more empowering outcomes.
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 Dec 2021.