Social Justice and Social Security Committee – The NEN

Reform needed to industrial injuries benefits, says Holyrood Committee

A Holyrood Committee has concluded that reform to the way Scotland manages and delivers benefits related to industrial injuries and ill health at work is needed, but, has agreed by majority that the Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council Bill will not deliver this.

The Bill, introduced by Mark Griffin MSP, proposes that a Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council be established to provide expertise about support for people living with a workplace injury or disease.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is currently delivered by the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the Scottish Government. The delivery of this benefit is expected to become the responsibility of the Scottish Government in March 2026.

Witnesses characterised the current Industrial Injuries Scheme as failing to deliver for women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds. They also said that the current system is slow to effect change and does not consider modern occupations and diseases. The Committee understood and agreed with these concerns.

However, the Cabinet Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, told the Committee that, even if the Bill was given Parliamentary approval, the Scottish Government would not be able to act on any recommendations the Council made regarding the benefit as it is constrained by its current agreement with the Department for Work and Pensions.

Furthermore, the Committee’s report raises concerns that the creation of a new, statutory body (which would work alongside other public bodies, like the Scottish Commission on Social Security), would add to an already cluttered public body landscape, making the social security system more complex to administrate.

The Committee did, however, share the frustration of witnesses and Mr Griffin regarding delays to the promised Scottish Government consultation on its approach to replacing the Industrial Injuries Scheme in Scotland.

The Committee urges the Scottish Government to provide detailed timings for this consultation.

Collette Stevenson MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “The current Industrial Injuries Scheme, at over 70 years old, is inadequate. It fails to take account of modern work practices and diseases and does not deliver for women or people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

“However, a majority of the Committee believe that this Bill would not provide the reform that stakeholders want to see and recommend that it should not be agreed to.

“Instead, we call on the Scottish Government to urgently provide detailed timings for the consultation on its approach to replacing the Industrial Injuries Scheme in Scotland, so that workers who are injured, or suffer from ill health, because of their employment, can access the compensation they deserve.”

Scottish Government must ‘supercharge’ efforts to tackle child poverty

A new report from Holyrood’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee calls on the Scottish Government to take steps to “supercharge” its efforts to tackle child poverty.

The Committee has been undertaking an inquiry into the issue, focusing on parental employment, which the Government sees as key to reducing the number of children living in poverty.

During the inquiry the Committee travelled to several places in Scotland to hear the views of parents. Not being able to access childcare from a child’s first birthday to when they start school, both during the school term and holidays, was the most common barrier to employment that they talked about with affordability and flexibility seen as critical.

Parents spoke of needing to find work that fitted in with school hours, while one contributor reflected that women could not develop in their careers until their children had reached high school age. In response, the Committee calls on the Government to accelerate its work on expanding the availability of childcare.

Public transport is a major theme in the report. Witnesses in urban and rural areas spoke about a range of issues including access and cost. The report asks the Government to consider how public transport services can be designed and better supported to provide affordable, frequent and direct services that support the type of trips more regularly made by parents.

The Committee’s report also encourages the Government to investigate how an integrated system of discounted travel offers for low-income working-age people could be provided. The Committee believes this would enable some families to access a wider range of employment opportunities by being able to travel further, more cost effectively.

Witnesses also identified an issue faced by parents who embark upon study to improve their career prospects. Student funding means that low-income parents at college or university would be ineligible for benefits such as Universal Credit. To help, the Committee calls for Scottish Child Payment eligibility to be extended.

Bob Doris MSP, speaking on behalf of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “In Best Start, Bright Futures, the Scottish Government said that parental employment is a key driver to meet the statutory targets to address child poverty. Our report looks at how the aims of that plan could come closer to being realised.

“The Scottish Government believes that without its actions to date, 28% of children would be living in poverty. Even so, the Government expects to narrowly miss its interim child poverty targets, with modelling predicting that 19% of children will be living in poverty this year. Therefore, we are calling for the Government to take decisive action now by clarifying its priorities and commitments and producing explicit delivery and spending plans to make sure progress is on track.

“We recognise the good progress the Scottish Government has made in reducing child poverty. We now want to see the Government supercharge its efforts so that the ambitions it has set can become reality.”

Views sought on proposed changes to the Scottish Government’s social security powers

A Holyrood Committee is calling for individuals and organisations to share their views on proposed changes to the laws governing social security in Scotland.

The Social Justice and Social Security Committee has launched a call for views on the Scottish Government’s Social Security (Scotland) (Amendment) Bill.

Social security legislation was devolved to Holyrood in 2016 and a legal framework to the Scottish Social Security system was introduced in 2018. This meant 11 existing social security benefits were devolved from the Department of Work and Pensions to a new Scottish body, Social Security Scotland.

The new Bill proposes a range of changes, including creating a framework to introduce new social security benefits for children and care experienced people, changing rules about how people can challenge decisions made about social security assistance and repealing COVID measures that allowed people to make late applications.

The Committee will be scrutinising the Bill and considering whether these changes deliver improvements, make the system more efficient and the extent to which they reflect the Scottish Government’s social security principles.

Commenting on the launch of the consultation, Collette Stevenson, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “We want to hear what people make of the Scottish Government’s proposed changes to social security laws.

“We’re particularly interested in hearing about the impact these changes will have, whether they deliver value for money and the extent to which there can be further improvement to the system as a result of these changes.

“The proposals in the Bill include introducing new benefits for children and care experienced people, allowing appointees who manage a person’s DWP benefits to also manage their Social Security Scotland benefits and new ways for individuals to appeal when they are not entitled to assistance.

“I would encourage anybody with a view on these plans, or any of the other proposals in the Bill, to complete the call for views on the Parliament’s website.”

The call for views opened yesterday and will be open until Friday 12 January 2024.

The link to where people can share their views on the Bill is:

https://yourviews.parliament.scot/sjssc/social-security-amendment-bill

Views sought on Bill to strengthen charity regulator

Proposals that would see the powers of Scotland’s charity regulator strengthened are to be considered by the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee.

Under the proposals in the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), would have wider powers to investigate charities and charity trustees. Rules around who can be a charity trustee or senior office-holder in a charity would also be tightened.

The proposed changes to the law were developed following suggestions from OSCR. Some of the changes are intended to ensure Scottish legislation is in line with updated legislation in England and Wales.

The Committee wants to understand what impact the changes in the Bill might have. To make this as easy as possible for all charities to respond, no matter their size, the Committee is inviting people to share their views either through a detailed consultation, or a short survey.

They hope to get an insight into how the charity sector has changed since the Charities Act was passed in 2005 and get a better idea of how the updated laws might impact the Scottish public.

Natalie Don, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee said: “Charities are a cornerstone of public life in Scotland, with millions of people across the country supporting, or benefitting from their work. It is important that the public can have faith in the often vital work that they do. We’re keen to understand the extent to which the Bill might strengthen that accountability and transparency.

“We also want to understand what administrative impact the Bill might place on charities and their trustees. We understand that many people volunteer for charities and we want to know how these changes might impact on the way that they are able to perform these roles.

“There are more than 25,000 charities in Scotland and we would like anybody who has a role working or volunteering for one to share their views on the Bill, either by completing the detailed call for views, or the shorter survey.”

The Committee’s survey and detailed consultations will both close on Friday 3 February 2023. Following the closure of the consultation, the Committee will undertake several public evidence sessions before producing a report commenting on the principles of the Bill in the spring.

THREE Holyrood Committees join forces to look at tackling drug deaths and problem drug use

The Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee are coming together to hold two special sessions looking at the actions taken to reduce drugs deaths and problem drug use in Scotland.

The sessions, which will question the Scottish and UK Governments, as well as the new Chair of the Scottish Drugs Deaths Taskforce (SDDT), will seek to focus on what progress has been made and actions taken so far, including implementation of SDDT’s recommendations, as well as what more can be done.

The Committees are working together, recognising the issues which lie behind this crisis stem from different policy areas. Each Committee will send representatives to question witnesses and consider the progress made.

The Committee will question Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP, UK Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Probation, on the afternoon of Tuesday 1 February.

On the following day, MSPs will then question the new Chair of the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce, David Strang, followed by the Scottish Government’s Minister for Drugs Policy, Angela Constance MSP.

Speaking as the joint sitting of the three committees was announced, Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP (above), who will chair the joint sitting, said: “Problem drug use, and tragically, drugs deaths blight too many families and communities in Scotland.

“We know that the roots of these issues are complex and historical, and that the Taskforce recommendations touch many policy areas.

“Implementing the wide ranging solutions requires a co-ordinated approach by Parliament and Government.

“Addressing this drugs crisis is a priority for our committees. We want to support the individuals and families affected, as well as the agencies who work with them and the Government in taking the right actions to reduce drug deaths and tackle the misuse of drugs.

“I hope these sessions allow us to see some progress in this area, and perhaps find consensus and focus on what more can be done.”

The Committee is a joint meeting of three Committees and not a new Committee.

It is expected the following MSPs will attend the joint sessions as delegates:

Audrey Nicoll (SNP) (Convener)

Miles Briggs (Con)

Foysol Choudhury (Lab)

Russell Findlay (Con)

Gillian Mackay (GRN)

Gillian Martin (SNP)

Pauline McNeill (Labour)

Paul O’Kane (Lab)

Sue Webber (Con)

It is expected that the new SJSS Convener will also attend, once this person is appointed. (SNP).

The meeting with Kit Malthouse is expected to take place virtually between 3 – 4:30pm, Tuesday 1 February.

The meeting with the Taskforce and Angela Constance MSP is expected to take place virtually 10am – 12:30pm, Wednesday 2 February. The panel with the taskforce anticipated to last 10 – 11am, and the Minister thereafter.

COVID-19 pandemic and UK energy market turbulence must be addressed in fuel poverty strategy

The twin stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant turbulence in the UK energy market must be tackled to address fuel poverty according to a letter issued yesterday by the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee.

The Committee has been examining the Scottish Government’s Tackling Fuel Poverty Strategy to ensure it meets the needs of low-income households.

The impact of ongoing high inflation was a key concern highlighted in the Committee’s letter. A significant cost of living increase, caused by high inflation, is likely to push more people into, or further into, fuel poverty. The Committee has now called on the Government to define its plans in the strategy beyond this winter to reassure people that support will be available.

The Government’s proposals outline that some households are more likely to experience fuel poverty. While the Committee was happy to see this acknowledged, they want to see what more could be done to help disabled children or adults.

The Committee also raised concerns that the strategy did not fully plan to tackle the depth of fuel poverty in rural, remote and island areas. Some of these areas have recently faced significant challenges in accessing energy caused by winter storms. The Committee called for more detail on how the Government will engage with people living in these communities, who face a disproportionate risk of extreme fuel poverty.

Neil Gray MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “The significant recent disruption to energy supplies has brought the issue of equality in access to energy into sharp focus.

“We are pleased that the Scottish Government has made a commitment to address fuel poverty with this strategy. However, we believe the proposals should go further to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

“Sadly, given current indications that high inflation looks set to last well into the Spring, we are extremely worried that more people may be dragged into fuel poverty through no fault of their own. This makes it more important that the Government’s strategy details long term commitments.

“Thank you to everyone who shared their lived experience of fuel poverty with our Committee. The compelling and often upsetting evidence we heard has reinforced our belief that people’s experiences should be reflected in the strategy’s design and implementation.”

The full text of the Committee’s letter can be read here:

https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-social-justice-and-social-security-committee/correspondence/2021/tackling-fuel-poverty-in-scotland-a-strategic-approach

Committee considers plans for additional payment for Scotland’s unpaid carers

Plans for an additional payment for some unpaid carers are being considered by the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee.

The Carer’s Allowance Supplement (Scotland) Bill will double the Carer’s Allowance Supplement (CAS) to be paid in December. It will also give the Scottish Government power to increase the allowance in the future.

According to the Scottish Government, this change will help ease some of the economic harm which has affected the estimated 83,000 carers who currently receive the allowance.

Now the Committee wants to hear from carers support groups and others about whether this change will have the impact it is hoped.

Committee Convener, Neil Gray MSP said: “The devastation caused by Covid has been felt throughout our towns and communities. It has been hard for people in so many ways, and it is important that those most affected are recognised and offered the support they need.

“This Bill wants to address some of the extra burden unpaid carers have taken on by increasing the level of the Carer’s Support Allowance. But what impact would this have on those facing unimaginable hardship as a result of Covid?

“We want to hear from those working closely with carers about what this will mean in practice and whether the additional payment is the most appropriate way to support unpaid carers. We also want to learn whether people think the Scottish Government should have more flexibility to change this payment in the future.”

Carer’s Support Allowance is targeted at those who have an intensive caring role and lower financial resistance. Although there are estimated to be around 690,000 unpaid carers, only an estimated 83,000 carers are eligible for the allowance.

Paid twice a year, the current payment is £231.40. The Bill would double the December 2021 payment.

To submit your views:

https://yourviews.parliament.scot/ssc/carers-allowance-supplement by 12 August.