Social Security Committee

Meeting date: Thursday, November 28, 2019

Official Report 557KB pdf

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Good morning and welcome to the 26th meeting in 2019 of the Social Security Committee. I remind everyone present to switch mobile phones and other devices to silent mode or to turn them off, so that they do not disrupt the meeting. We have received apologies from our deputy convener, Pauline McNeill, who cannot be with us this morning. We send her our best wishes.

Before we move to agenda item 1, I thank the individuals and organisations that took the time to speak to the committee during a recent and extremely worthwhile visit to Wester Hailes education centre. We heard insightful evidence, which will form part of our inquiry into benefit uptake, and we promised to take forward three specific issues that were raised with us, which were to do with people’s negative experiences in relation to claiming benefit. The first issue was the fact that the income threshold for carers allowance has not increased since the increase in the minimum wage; the second was the fact that student loans are treated as income in universal credit; and the third was the fact that tax rebates for work that was undertaken before a person moved on to universal credit are treated as income for an assessment period, which reduces the universal credit that is payable.

As the convener of the committee, I committed to raise those three issues with the United Kingdom Government at the earliest opportunity, and we will seek to do that once a new UK Government has been formed. When the committee carries out such engagement, it is important that we put concerns on the record at the earliest opportunity and that we take them forward.

Under agenda item 1, the committee is asked to agree to take item 5, which is consideration of the evidence that we will hear under item 4, in private. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.