Tag: Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville

Hi-tech housing solutions help ease pressures on health and social care

Increased investment for adaptations in homes

The budget for a programme that uses technology in housing to help older people remain independent for longer will more than double this year from £8.2 million to £20.9 million.

This means more housing association tenants will benefit from the Registered Social Landlord Adaptations Programme, a preventative model that also reduces hospital admissions and long-term care costs.

On her visit to Bield Housing Association’s Tech Hub in Linlithgow, the Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville saw a variety of adaptations that are making a difference to the lives of older people and saving public money.

Ms Somerville said: “Scotland faces significant challenges as our population ages and it is preventative, people-focused approaches like this that will help us deliver better outcomes for older people while making the best use of public resources.

“That is why we announced in our Programme for Government that we would more than double the budget this year for the Registered Social Landlord’s Adaptations Programme from £8.25 million to £20.9 million to allow housing associations to plan and deliver more adaptations for their tenants.

“This financial year we are also investing £768 million in affordable housing, the majority of which will be for social rent. This reflects our long-standing commitment to ensure everyone in Scotland has a safe and affordable home to live in.”

Chief Executive of Bield Debbie Collins said: “Investing in the right housing and technology supports older people to manage their health, stay connected, and live independently – reducing reliance on formal care and helping to avoid preventable hospital stays.

“We believe housing must be seen as part of the health and care infrastructure and that continued investment in digital solutions and accessible homes not only improve people’s lives but delivers public value by saving money in the long-term.”

Social Justice Secretary urges UK Government to reinstate Winter Fuel Payment

Call for action to tackle root causes of fuel poverty

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has written to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall to urge the UK Government to reverse the cut to Winter Fuel Payment.

Call for action to tackle root causes of fuel poverty.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has written to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall to urge the UK Government to reverse the cut to Winter Fuel Payment.

Ms Somerville called on the UK Government to take action to address root causes of fuel poverty and volatile energy prices.

The full text of the Social Justice Secretary’s letter: 

Winter Fuel Payment: Letter to UK Government

To: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall

From: Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville

20 September 2024


Dear Liz,

I am writing to you to express further concerns, following the publication of the UK Government’s equality analysis on the impact of the introduction of a means-tested Winter Fuel Payments, which shows that across all assessed characteristics those affected by this change in policy will greatly outnumber those unaffected.

The Scottish Government continues to support vulnerable households from fuel poverty through a range of actions within our limited devolved powers. This year alone, we are spending £134 million on activities to mitigate UK Government policies through schemes such as Discretionary Housing Payments and the Scottish Welfare Fund, which provide vital support to households struggling to meet their housing and energy costs.

However, we cannot continue to mitigate UK austerity policy decisions. What is really needed is reform of the UK energy markets to address the root causes of fuel poverty in Scotland, such as high fuel prices. In these circumstances I would urge you to now reverse the Winter Fuel Payment decision and reinstate the payment for all pensioners.

This decision was of course taken without consultation or discussion with the Scottish Government and it has had devastating consequences for our planned launch of Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, reducing the Block-Grant Adjustment for our devolved payment by over 80%.

Having carefully considered the options, given the significant impact of this decision and the wider cuts being imposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on our budgets, we have had no choice but to mirror this approach in Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, our replacement for Winter Fuel Payment, which is to be delivered in Scotland this Winter by the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the Scottish Government.

A copy of this letter goes to the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Scotland.