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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-15426

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14366 by Derek Mackay on 20 February 2018, whether it has requested that any resolution with UK Government officials regarding the complex interaction between Scottish income tax policy and entitlement to universal credit should take the form of (a) a disregard of the net benefit of the starter rate of income tax for the calculation of universal credit or (b) a supplementary payment of universal credit.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15424 on 18 April 2018. 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 , and the answer to S5O-01937 on 28 March 2018 which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11450&i=104015&c=2079481#ScotParlOR .

Question reference: S5W-15424

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14366 by Derek Mackay on 20 February 2018, whether it has achieved a resolution with UK Government officials regarding the complex interaction between Scottish income tax policy and entitlement to universal credit.

Question reference: S5W-15425

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14366 by Derek Mackay on 20 February 2018, whether a resolution with UK Government officials regarding the complex interaction between Scottish income tax policy and entitlement to universal credit will be reflected in universal credit calculations by the end of June 2017.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15424 on 18 April 2018. The Scottish Government is working with the UK Government to understand the impact on households across the income distribution of the combined income tax and UC policies before deciding what action, if any, is taken. UC computations are carried out by DWP and the power to change these is reserved to the UK Government.

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

Question reference: S5W-15427

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14366 by Derek Mackay on 20 February 2018, how many people receiving universal credit (a) are currently and (b) will be affected by the complex interaction between Scottish income tax policy and entitlement to universal credit by the end of 2018-19.

The Scottish Government does not have access to the data required to provide robust estimates and has asked the UK Government to share its data. The majority of current UC claimant households will not be affected by the interaction at all because they will not include any individuals who pay income tax. The size of the portion who are affected will depend on the pattern of UC rollout and migration.

The latest Department for Work and Pensions statistics indicate there are 65,000 Scottish households in receipt of Universal Credit as of December 2017. Based on the latest forecast data shared with us by DWP, we estimate that there would be around 150,000 Scottish households in receipt of Universal Credit by the end of the 2018-19 tax year but very few of these will include individuals who pay income tax. Some households will receive more UC as a result of paying more income tax. It is not yet possible to determine whether this will result in a net gain (or a net loss) for the UK or Scottish Governments.

Question reference: S5W-15423

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-14366 and S5W-14367 by Derek Mackay on 20 February 2018, whether the complex interaction between Scottish income tax policy and entitlement to universal credit is being considered with the UK Government in relation to paragraphs (a) 44 to 53 and (b) 89 and 90 of the Fiscal Framework.

The Scottish and UK Governments are considering this issue in relation to the no detriment provisions of the Fiscal Framework.

Paragraphs 89 and 90 relate specifically to welfare benefits introduced by the Scottish Government. These provisions do not apply for the purposes of Scottish income tax policy.

Some households will receive more UC as a result of paying more income tax. It is not yet possible to determine whether this will result in a net gain (or a net loss) for the UK or Scottish Governments.

Question reference: S5W-15746

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £152,210.25 gain that is referred to in the document, “You’ve Earned It” Benefit Uptake Campaign – October 2017 Evaluation Report, represents the total gain to date or is the annual gain based on awards.

The figures used to calculate the Client Financial Gain are calculated relevant to the length of the award. In some cases these are one-off payments. When awards are for on-going benefits these have been calculated up to a maximum of 52 weeks.

The Client Financial Gain figure is based on confirmed awards for individuals who engaged with a Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), either in person or by phone, and who referenced campaign activity as the reason for their initial engagement.

The figure is only completely confirmed awards and is not based on any extrapolation. That is because CAB advisers only record a gain once the client has confirmed the award direct with them.

The actual figure therefore is likely to be more as it does not include awards to people who engaged with the Citizens Advice Service due to the campaign but didn't go back to the service to confirm an award was successful. It is also expected to increase as CAB advise that it can take many weeks or even months to go through the process following a CAB intervention, and they only record a gain once the client has confirmed the award.

Question reference: S5W-15748

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the figures that it used to calculate the £152,210.25 gain that is referred to in the document, “You’ve Earned It” Benefit Uptake Campaign – October 2017 Evaluation Report.

Question reference: S5W-15747

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were counted when calculating the £152,210.25 gain that is referred to in the document, “You’ve Earned It” Benefit Uptake Campaign – October 2017 Evaluation Report.

The Client Financial Gain figure is based on awards to 66 individuals.

The Client Financial Gain figure is based on confirmed awards for individuals who engaged with a Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB), either in person or by phone, and who referenced campaign activity as the reason for their initial engagement.

The figure is only completely confirmed awards and is not based on any extrapolation. That is because CAB advisers only record a gain once the client has confirmed the award directly with them. The actual figure therefore is likely to be more as it does not include awards to people who engaged with a Citizens Advice Bureau due to the campaign but didn't go back to CAB to confirm an award was successful. It is also expected to increase as CAB advise that it can take many weeks or even months to go through the process following a CAB intervention, and they only record a gain once the client has confirmed the award.

Question reference: S5W-15428

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14366 by Derek Mackay on 20 February 2018, how much of the net benefit of the starter rate of income tax will an individual (a) receive and (b) lose due to the complex interaction between Scottish income tax policy and entitlement to universal credit.

Question reference: S5W-15588

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14564 by Jeane Freeman on 6 March 2018, which other DWP technology platforms and systems the Social Security Programme Board has (a) considered and (b) approved the re-use of.