Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 148
Second Report - Welfare policy in Scotland
Published 23 Jun 2021
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Welfare policy in Scotland All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Scottish Government and the DWP should work together and seek agreement before announcing further Scottish Choices options to ensure there is no delay in roll out. We therefore recommend the following: a) That Scottish Choices be made available to a claimant from the start of their Universal Credit claim. 357 Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (WPS0017) 358 Scottish Government (WPS0013) 359 Q149 360 Q149 361 Q150 362 Q150 363 Q150 364 Q199 365 Q199 366 Q199 367 Q199 Welfare policy in Scotland 53 b) That both the Scottish Government and the DWP better advertise the availability of Scottish Choices through the initial online claim process, through the Citizens Advice Scotland Help to Claim service, and through the first meeting with the work coach. c) That discussions about Scottish Choices between claimants and work coaches happen frequently throughout a claimant’s time on Universal Credit. We understand that these conversations could take place via journal entries if the claimant is happy with this approach. d) That the Scottish Government and the DWP work together and agree details and administration before announcing further Scottish Choices options. This would ensure that there are no delays as has been seen with the roll out of split payment and removal of the underoccupancy charge Scottish Choices options. 54 Welfare policy in Scotland
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, Second Report - Welfare policy in Scotland (HC 55), 23 June 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 19 November 2021 (deadline 23 August 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The UK Government "notes the Committee's recommendations" and responds to each in turn, accepting little of the report's welfare-policy proposals and referring several to the Scottish Government.
- On the £20 uplift and legacy benefits, it states "There was never any plan to extend the uplift to legacy benefits."
- On work allowances, it states it "has no plans to extend the work allowance to single adults".
- On Help to Claim funding, it "considers the existing resource to be sufficient", and says DWP agreed to fund Citizens Advice Scotland for another year, "up to 31 March 2022".
- On data sharing and Recommendations 2, 7 and 8, it says each data request "must be examined" by DWP as Data Controller, and treats several recommendations as "for the Scottish Government".