The Questions on These New Powers Have Been Divided Into Sections On

Introduction

The Smith Commission was tasked with providing recommendations on increased powers that could be devolved to Scotland following the Scottish independence referendum. Its report, published 27 November 2014, detailed a number of recommendations in relation to social security. Following the Smith recommendations work is now being taken forward to plan for these powers coming to the Scottish Parliament. In England most of these powers are described as welfare powers, in Scotland they will be known as social security powers.

As part of this process we are keen that all organisations and people with an interest have the opportunity to have their say on the issues that matter to them. We would be grateful if you could take the time to answer these questions to help inform our thinking on new powers.

The questions on these new powers have been divided into sections on

Principles and vision

1.  Working Age Benefits- Universal Credit flexibilities

2.  Disability Benefits

3.  Carer Benefits

4.  Regulated Social Fund (including Funeral Payment, Cold Weather Payments, Winter Fuel payments and Sure Start Maternity grants)

5.  Benefits for housing costs

You may find our background paper Social Security for Scotland: Benefits being devolved to the Scottish Parliament useful in considering your response. Our website http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/fairerscotland/future-powers also contains background information on new social security powers.

Please submit responses under these four headings (based on the following questions) to by 2 October 2015. If you would like to provide any other comments not covered by these questions please include this in an ‘other comments’ section in your response.

Introduction

Principle and vision

·  What are your experiences of the current social security system?

·  What works well in the current social security system?

·  What improvements could be made to make the social security system better?

·  What other services do you rely on in addition to the social security system?

1.  Working Age Benefits - Universal Credit flexibilities

·  Do you agree that Universal Credit claimants in Scotland should be given a choice as to whether they receive their payments monthly or twice monthly?

·  Do you agree that if a Scottish Universal Credit claimant has a social landlord that the housing element of their Universal Credit should be paid directly to the landlord? If so should the claimant have a choice about that?

2.  Disability Benefits (https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/overview)

·  What is your understanding of the purpose of disability benefits?

·  Once these benefits are devolved should they have a different purpose? If so, what should that be?

·  Do current disability benefits meet the needs of disabled people?

·  In your view, how can Scotland improve disability benefits, assuming we have the same amount of money to spend?

·  Who should be eligible for disability benefits?

·  Should assessments/tests of eligibility be used? If so which type should be used?

·  Older people claiming Attendance Allowance don’t have access to mobility elements of disability benefits, whereas Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment claimants can still receive mobility awards after state pension age. Do you have a view on this?

·  How could devolved benefits support older people with disability-related mobility needs in the future?

·  How could a distinction be made between general mobility issues in older age and disability related mobility needs?

Industrial Injuries Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/industrial-injuries-disablement-benefit/overview)

·  Does the Industrial Injuries Scheme work well? Would could be improved about it?

·  What could be improved about the assessment process?

·  Does the Industrial Injuries Scheme operate fairly a) in how it distinguishes between conditions? b) in terms of the total compensation paid out over the term of the award? c) in making the distinction between disability caused by work and other disability?

Are weekly payments via the Industrial Injuries Scheme the best way of delivering compensation for work-related accidents and illnesses? What other options should be considered?

3.  Carer’s Benefits (https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance)

·  When social security benefits are devolved to Scotland how should we support carers?

·  Do you think the current Carer’s Allowance meets the needs of carers?

·  What parts of Carers Allowance work well?

·  How could carers allowance be improved?

·  Could we improve services for disabled people and their carers by joining up services as part of the changes to the benefit system in Scotland? If so how?

4.  Regulated Social Fund

Funeral Payment (https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/overview)

·  What is your experience of Funeral Payments?

·  Do funeral payments works well? Would could be improved about them?

·  What do you see as the purpose of funeral payments?

·  Assuming Scotland has the same amount of money to spend, would you rather see:

A.  Lower payments to a larger number of people,

B.  Higher payments to a smaller number of people or

C.  Payments being about the same as they are now?

·  Would you support a move to paying a fixed grant amount rather than asking for receipts?

·  What would the impact be if we moved to paying a fixed grant amount, rather than asking for receipts?

·  Funeral Payments are treated as a loan and recovered from the estate of the deceased in the small number of cases where there is one. Would you support treating funeral payments as a grant and not recovering it?

·  What would the impact be if we did not recover the payments?

Cold Weather Payments (https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/overview)

·  What is your experience of Cold Weather payments?

·  Do Winter Fuel Payments work well? Would could be improved about them?

·  Would you be in favour of converting Cold Weather Payments from an income supplement to an energy bill rebate?

·  Would you be in favour of a more radical approach e.g. transferring the money for Cold Weather Payments into the delivery of energy efficiency measures rather than a cash payment to consumers?

·  Are there any geographical problems related to Cold Weather Payments we should be aware of?

Winter Fuel Payment ( https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/overview)

·  What is your experience of Winter Fuel Payments? Do cold weather payments work well? Would could be improved about them?

·  Assuming we have the same amount of money to spend, would you rather see:

A) Lower payments to a larger number of people ie widening the eligibility,

B)Higher payments to a smaller number of people – ie more focussed to those with the greatest need

C) Payments being or about the same as they are now?

·  Would you be in favour of converting Winter Fuel Payment from an income supplement to a rebate on peoples energy bills?

·  Would you be in favour of a more radical approach e.g. transferring the money for Winter Fuel Payment into the delivery of energy efficiency measures rather than a cash payment to consumers?

·  Are there any geographical problems related to Winter Fuel Payment that we should be aware of?

Sure Start Maternity grants (https://www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant/overview)

·  What is your experience of DWP Sure Start Maternity Grants?

·  Do Maternity Grants work well? What could be improved about them?

·  What do you see as the purpose of Sure Start Maternity Grants?

·  Assuming Scotland has the same amount of money to spend, would you rather see:

A.  Lower payments to a larger number of people,

B.  Ligher payments to a smaller number of people or

C.  Payments being about the same as they are now?

·  What support do women on low incomes need during pregnancy and after the birth of their child?

·  What are the advantages and disadvantages of providing equipment e.g. a cot, rather than a money grant?

·  What are the advantages and disadvantages of providing a choice between equipment e.g. a cot, and a money grant?

·  How could a Scottish maternity grant be used to re-enforce other Scottish policy and delivery, for example in maternal health and early years?

5.  Benefits for housing costs(DHP Guidance Manual) (Scottish DHP statistics)

·  Would you be in favour of Scotland continuing to be able to give payments to cover the cost to families of the spare room subsidy ‘bedroom tax’ at a current cost of around £45 million a year?

·  Are Discretionary Housing Payments the best way of covering the cost to families of the bedroom tax? If not what would be a better way to do this?

·  What is your experience of DHPs? Do Discretionary Housing Payments work well?

·  Should the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) (Local Housing Allowance in Scotland) rate be varied? Yes/No (If yes, how and why?)

6. Other Comments

·  Do you have any other comments you would like to add on the new social security powers coming to Scotland not covered in your answers to the questions above? If so please include them here.

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