Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to S5W-22092 on 21 March 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Give that fewer than 10 Experience Panel members took part the data will be not be published as there is a risk it could be disclosive. No concerns were identified from the small number of panel members spoken to.

As part of building foundations for long term carer benefits, the Scottish Government has engaged with carers and carer organisations to identify potential areas for change. These suggestions include:

• Extending the eligibility to those with multiple caring responsibilities and reducing the time required spent caring.
• Exploring the possibility of introducing different levels of benefits for those with different caring commitments in different circumstances.
• Removing restrictions on those studying and looking at ways of encouraging carers into work and education.
• Exploring further payments for pensioners with caring responsibilities including to those already with underlying entitlements.
• Extending the period that CA is paid to a carer when the cared-for person dies or goes into hospital.
• Offering benefits in kind

The published Social Security case transfer policy position paper sets out our approach to transferring existing benefits from the DWP to Social Security Scotland.

Our starting position is that Short-term Assistance will not be recoverable where the principal assistance is found to have been overpaid rather than as a result of fraud.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on this proposal and will review its position in light of the responses to the consultation.

Current estimates are that 89,800 cases of people over 65 in receipt of Attendance Allowance will transfer over to Disability Assistance for Older People.

People over 65 who are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance will be transferred over to a Scottish version of DLA for people over 65. People over 65 who are in receipt of Personal Independence Payment will be transferred over to Disability Assistance for Working Age People.

To date, the Scottish Government has not specifically requested "mortality statistics" on Severe Disablement Allowance from The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Following the launch of our new Best Start Grant payments and Funeral Expense Assistance in summer 2019, we will launch our new Young Carer Grant in the autumn. The grant will provide £300 to young adults aged 16 and 17 (and 18 if still at school) with significant caring responsibilities.

We will also launch our new Job Grant, a consultation for which is currently under way, to support young people moving back into employment.

The Scottish Government has requested information relating to Severe Disablement Allowance caseload on the following dates:

09-05-2016

26-06-2016

06-02-2017

17-07-2017

04-09-2017

The information provided has included working age client data.