Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Official Report 715KB pdf

Subordinate Legislation

National Assistance (Sums for Personal Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (SSI 2022/70)

National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (SSI 2022/71)

National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Amendment (Scotland) (No 2) Regulations 2022 (SSI 2022/72)

The third item on our agenda is consideration of three related negative instruments. The instruments refer to annual rate changes for charges for residential accommodation.

The first instrument increases the value of the personal expenses allowance in line with average earnings, which is an increase of 5.8 per cent.

The second instrument increases the value of savings credit disregard in line with average earnings, which is forecast at 5.8 per cent. It also increases the lower capital limit from £18,000 to £18,500 and the upper capital limit from £28,750 to £29,750 in line with the consumer prices index, which is forecast at 3.1 per cent—I hope that everyone is following this.

The purpose of the third instrument is to disregard payments made to individuals living in residential care by the Scottish infected blood support scheme and equivalent schemes enacted in other parts of the UK.

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee considered the instruments and made no recommendations to us. No motions to annul have been received in relation to the instruments.

If members have no comments to make, I propose that the committee makes no recommendations in relation to these negative instruments.

As no member objects, we agree to that approach.

At our next meeting on 29 March, the committee will hear from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care as part of our inquiry into alternative pathways to primary care.