Recommendation 71

The Scottish Government are set to begin taking responsibility for the payment of benefits to disabled people in Scotland this year via the new Scottish Social Security agency. This transfer of powers was due to take place in 2020, however, the process was delayed. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, announced168 the delay of these benefits in April 2020 and then went on to say, in November 2020, that the new target for delivering these benefits was summer 2021 for Child Disability Payment, and summer 2022 for Adult Disability Payment.169 The Cabinet Secretary confirmed when speaking to us that the covid-19 pandemic and the knock on effects this had on the Scottish Government, the DWP, health and social care services and local authorities meant it was not possible to roll out the new benefits to the timetable the Scottish Government had originally planned.170