New arrangements to support people who receive benefits and the long term employed come into effect today. The devolution of powers through the Scotland Act 2016 now has employability services delivered by the Scottish Government with 12 month transitional arrangements set to launch on Monday. Continue reading Employability and social security legislation come into effect
Disability benefit delays: Mark Lazarowicz MP attacks Government for letting down the most vulnerable
Mark Lazarowicz MP has attacked the Government for long delays in assessing benefits claims. The North and Leith MP was speaking during n a debate at Westminster on the introduction of the new disability benefit, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The Personal Independence Payment is being rolled out across the UK in stages to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and reassessments of certain categories of DLA claimants in Edinburgh began in January 2014.
The Government’s own target for completion of assessments is 16 weeks, but Mr Lazarowicz says there are long delays in even assessing claimants – a six month wait is typical and in some cases constituents the wait has been even longer.
Mark Lazarowicz said: “Claimants even with extremely serious conditions such as cancer are typically waiting at least 6 months just to be assessed and I have had constituents contact me who have waited as long as EIGHTEEN MONTHS.
“That means that people may struggle to afford the travel costs of hospital visits or be forced to sell their home as they face extreme hardship: I want to see the Government offer financial help to people in difficulty due to delays.
“And when PIP is awarded at a higher rate than previously paid under DLA, the increased payments are only backdated for a maximum of 28 days, even if the application had been submitted many months before. It is an outrage that people lose out on payments due to them simply because of delay caused by the government”.
“At the very least claims from anyone with a terminal condition must be fast tracked (even if their life expectancy is longer than six months where applications are currently fast tracked).
“Nobody trying to cope with a serious illness or disability should have to face additional worry of how to cope financially because of Government incompetence.”
Mark Lazarowicz’ speech in the debate can be found here.
Extra £280,000 to help groups who face barriers accessing money advice
Projects which give advice to vulnerable people facing debt and welfare problems will benefit from a £280,000 funding boost. The additional projects will focus on helping the most vulnerable, such as disabled people and victims of domestic abuse.
The extra funding will enable funds to be allocated to a further four projects through the Making Advice Work programme, at the end of January.
Since launching in October, 68 projects have received grants through the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s scheme with £7.45 million spread between projects which help members of the public access the right benefits and avoid debt, and those which offer advice to tackle welfare reform and debt problems.
Among the projects are 12 schemes that provide targeted support to people who face barriers accessing information and addressing money problems.
The new funds will allow more projects provide help to vulnerable groups.
The Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “At a time when people should come together with their friends and family it is vital that the most vulnerable members of our society are protected and cared for.
“Making Advice Work has already helped 68 projects across Scotland and this latest £280,000 investment will strengthen the work of some of these great schemes.
“Westminster has responded to tough economic times by imposing drastic welfare cuts which will affect some of our most vulnerable groups. The impact on disabled people and women is particularly hard, which is why we’ve made this additional funding available.
“This investment is supporting vulnerable people and helping individuals and families make the transition to the new system. I have been clear that this government will not turn its back on vulnerable people.
“As detailed in Scotland’s Future, only with the power of independence can we tackle these welfare reforms head on.”
The grant funding scheme which runs until March 2015 is facilitated through SLAB and jointly funded by the Scottish Government and Money Advice Service.
Lindsay Montgomery, Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Aid Board, said:
“The Board is delighted that the Scottish Government is making it possible for the Board to support more of the agencies who had applied to us in the summer for funding to help overcome barriers to advice for vulnerable communities
“The additional funding is to enable us to support more of these shortlisted projects and will allow the development of new partnerships and connections between third sector organisations that are already trusted sources of support within these communities, and organisations well placed to provide good quality advice to tackle debt and money problems.”
Money Advice Service’s chief executive Caroline Rookes said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government has identified additional finances to contribute to the programme of advice funding for marginalised groups that we established as part of Making Advice Work.
“The quality of applications for that programme was extremely high and this additional funding will allow more projects to start and enable more people to resolve their debt problems across Scotland.”
See the attached document (below) for a list of the 68 projects to receive funding through Making Advice Work:
A cap on the total amount of benefits that people of working age can receive has begun rolling out across the country. Couples and lone parents will now not receive more than £500 a week, while a maximum £350 will be the limit applied to single people.
The benefits cap is not due to be rolled out in Edinburgh until 15 August, but claimants should really be making preparations for the introduction NOW.
The cap is an element of the government’s radical overhaul of the benefits system, which Work and Pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith argues is necessary as the present system is ‘unfair’. The government has set the cap at a level they say reflects the current weekly household income.
Most benefits – Jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), housing benefit and child tax credits all count towards the cap, but there is no cap for people who receive Disability Living Allowance or its successor, the Personal Independence Payment. Those eligible for Working Tax Credit are also exempt.
“The benefit cap returns fairness to the benefits systems,” Mr Duncan Smith said. “It ensures the taxpayer can have trust in the welfare system and it stops sky-high claims that make it impossible for people to move into work.
“The limit of £500 a week ensures no-one claims more in benefits than the average household and there is a clear reason for people to get a job – as those eligible for Working Tax Credit are exempt.”
The DWP says about £90bn was paid out in benefit payments to people of working age and their families in 2009-10, and it expects the cap to save about £110m a year.
Shelter Scotland has issued the following advice:
‘If the benefit cap will affect you it’s a good idea to:
If you still can’t afford your current home then you may have to consider moving somewhere cheaper. If you’ve received a letter from the DWP warning you that your benefits may be reduced, or you’re worried that you’ll be affected by the cap, talk to a money adviser who’ll be able to help draw up a budget.
It’s important to prepare for this as early as possible to avoid falling behind with your rent and being evicted. If you’re worried that you’ll be threatened with homelessness because of the benefit cap speak to an adviser in your area.’
The benefit cap will be implemented across the country by 30 September.
Today (1 April) is day one of the Westminster government’s controversial welfare reforms. The Scottish government pre-empted the changes with two statements on the eve of the changes:
If the UK Government proceed to impose their plans for the bedroom tax on Scotland then Scotland must get its fair share of funds to deal with both the human and financial impact, Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess said yesterday.
In a letter to the UK Welfare Reform Minister Lord Freud, Mrs Burgess (picured below) demanded a fair deal for Scotland to address the potentially devastating impact of the bedroom tax, which is set to impoverish families and individuals.
The Scottish Government is completely opposed to the bedroom tax, which will affect 16,000 families with children in Scotland, but if UK Ministers proceed with cuts then Scotland must get its fair share of Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) funding, says Mrs Burgess.
Despite both Scotland and London having the same number of households hit by the bedroom tax, Lord Freud is set to award London with £56.5 million of DHP compared to only £10 million in Scotland.
Welfare Minister Burgess said: “The bedroom tax is a socially divisive measure that will increase social inequalities across Scotland. It’s a policy that the Scottish Government is totally against as it hits our most vulnerable citizens in these already challenging economic conditions.
“This is a policy devised in London on the basis of housing benefit increases and overcrowding. However, in inflation-adjusted terms, 93 per cent of the housing benefit increase is attributable to the situation in England whilst London has almost two and a half times the level of overcrowded households compared to Scotland.
“We have consistently made that case to UK Government Ministers that we are opposed to these cuts – if they proceed to impose their plans then Scotland must get its fair share of funds to deal with both the human and financial impact.
“The small levels of DHP in Scotland is woefully inadequate and unfair to deal with the impact and scale of this policy.
“Civic Scotland is united in opposition to the bedroom tax and this Government has already taken action to strengthen the protection against eviction for rent arrears in advance of the introduction of the tax. From 1 August 2012 we brought pre-action requirements for rent arrears into force to ensure that proceedings for eviction is always the last resort.
“We are also providing an extra £2.5 million to social landlords for advice services to ensure there is support on hand for people who will lose housing benefit due to the under occupancy measures and other housing benefit cuts being introduced by Westminster from April.
“The UK Government’s agenda is completely at odds with the values of the people of Scotland and the aspirations that this Government has for our nation. Only through independence can Scotland have the levers required to create a welfare system that is aligned to Scottish needs and values.”
Thousands of vulnerable people in Scotland will be protected from increased Council Tax bills following the UK Government’s abolition of council tax benefit this week, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth John Swinney announced yesterday.
Around 560,000 people will receive support to ensure they are not affected by the UK Government’s 10 per cent cut in funding for Council Tax Benefit successor arrangements.
The Scottish Government and local authorities in Scotland are working in partnership to invest £40 million in 2013/14 to bridge the funding gap and mitigate the impact of the UK Government’s benefit cuts.
Mr Swinney (pictured below) said: “Hard working and vulnerable people are having to bear the brunt of these Westminster benefit cuts. Instead of protecting our poorest households, Westminster has responded to this recession by imposing deeply damaging welfare cuts which will make it far harder for people to meet the rising cost of living.
“To ensure households across Scotland do not face additional burdens the Scottish Government and Scotland’s councils are providing £40 million in 2013/14 to ensure that around 560,000 people in Scotland are protected from this reduction.
“Whilst Council tax bills will be increasing in many areas of England as a result of benefit cuts we are using the limited resources we have to ensure vulnerable people do not have to face increasing bills.
“We are determined to do everything that we reasonably can to help those who need it most, however we cannot meet every Westminster cut. We are making available an extra £2.5 million to social landlords to help them ensure that people affected by housing benefit changes have the advice and support they need.
“And we are providing £5.4 to organisations such as Citizens Advice to help those affected by benefit reforms. This extra support will assist social landlords in their efforts to engage directly with affected tenants and seek to identify ways in which they can deal with the impact of the changes.
“These unjust policies show why we need the powers of independence to protect vulnerable people rather than simply trying to cushion the blows in Scotland. It would be far better to control benefits and welfare so unfair policies like abolishing Council Tax benefit are not even considered, let alone implemented. “
